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Tumbbad

Name: Tumbbad
Director: Rahi Anil Barve
Released: 2018
Duration: 113 min

Representation Score

2.7/10

Limited

2018

Not Rated

Director

Rahi Anil Barve

Runtime

113 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Tumbbad is a sophisticated folk horror that prioritizes mythological depth over broad demographic representation. While it lacks LGBTQ+ characters and features a male-centric narrative, it excels in cultural authenticity. The film succeeds by centering a non-Western perspective, avoiding colonial clichés in favor of localized, indigenous folklore. This provides a rich, culturally specific experience grounded in its historical context. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its moral complexity. It uses its supernatural framework to critique greed and capitalism, offering a narrative that challenges conventional social hierarchies and Western-centric values.

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Category Breakdown

Does Tumbbad have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight relationships. It focuses entirely on the Rao family's traditional domestic life in a period setting.

How does Tumbbad portray gender?

Limited

The story centers around the male protagonist, Vinayak, reflecting the gender roles of the time. Female characters are mostly confined to domestic duties, supporting the male protagonist's journey.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Tumbbad?

Fair

The film immerses viewers in the rural Indian life of the British Raj era. It avoids the white savior cliché by emphasizing indigenous folklore over colonial themes.

How does Tumbbad represent religion and culture?

Good

The film critiques excessive materialism through a mythological lens. It reinterprets traditional views of prosperity, presenting the pursuit of wealth as a corrupting supernatural force.

Does Tumbbad include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of characters with visible or invisible disabilities used as central plot devices or character traits.

Present on Screen

Provides a rich, culturally specific immersion into rural Indian life and indigenous folklore.
Avoids the 'white savior' cliché by focusing on internal, localized struggles during the British Raj.
Offers a sophisticated critique of materialism and greed through a unique mythological framework.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships.
Gender roles are traditional, with female characters primarily limited to domestic spheres.
Does not feature prominent depictions of characters with disabilities.

Official Synopsis

India, 1918. On the outskirts of Tumbbad, a cursed village where it always rains, Vinayak, along with his mother and his brother, care of a mysterious old woman who keeps the secret of an ancestral treasure that Vinayak gets obsessed with.

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