Actor-Producer Sohum Shah Reflects on the Mental Strain of Tumbbad

Sohum Shah recently opened up about the significant mental toll that producing the film Tumbbad had on him. The horror-thriller, which hit theaters again on September 13, originally released in 2018 to both critical acclaim and a warm reception from fans. However, the journey of creating this film was so draining that Sohum nearly considered abandoning his role as a producer. He shared these thoughts during a conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia on his podcast.

Sohum expressed, “Iss film ke dauharan mein itna thak gya thha. Ajay-Atul ne film ka ek gana kiya thha. Main unke paas baitha huun, woh gaan bana rahe hai, koi baat chal padhi aur mei rone lag gya. Maine kaha ‘yaar mai kasam khata huun, dobara kabhi film produce nahi karunga.’” (During this film, I was so tired. Ajay-Atul composed a song for the movie. I was sitting near him, they were making a song, there was some discussion and I started crying. I said, ‘I swear to never produce a film again.’)

He continued, sharing his emotional struggle, “Itna thak gaya na, ki aap kisise mil rahe ho release ke liye, aap apne ideas push kar rahe ho, aap logon tak film banana chahte ho aur itna thaka deta hai woh process toh mai rone laga. Toh unhone mujhe chai pilaya, paranthe khilaya aur bola ki ‘Sab thik ho jayega.’” (I got so tired that when meeting someone for the release, I was pushing my ideas, wanting to make a film for the people, and that process exhausted me so much that I started crying. They offered me tea, gave me parathas, and said, ‘Everything will be fine.’)

Despite the challenges, Sohum eventually returned to producing films without looking back. Directed by Rahi Anil Barve, Tumbbad earned eight nominations at the 64th Filmfare Awards and secured three wins, including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Sound Design. Additionally, it became the first Indian film featured in the Critics’ Week section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.

The film starred notable actors, including Dhundiraj Prabhakar Jogalekar, Jyoti Malshe, Madhav Hari, Harsh K, Piyush Kaushik, and Rudra Soni in pivotal roles. It was co-produced by Sohum Shah Films, Eros International, Colour Yellow Productions, Filmgate Films, and Film i Vast.