Rating: 3/5
Hooptober 3.0 | 11/31 | Countries 4/6 | India
The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed. — Mahatma Gandhi
1918, Tumbbad Village, Western India Vinayak’s mother is Sarkar’s mistress. She performs sexual favors, as well as cares for Sarkar’s ancestor, an old woman she must feed to keep asleep and at bay. The mother works on the promise that Sarkar will give her the gold coin adorning the shrine of Haster.
She is late to return, so Vinayak and his younger brother, Sadashiv, prepare a meal. But their mother returns home before they attempt to feed her. The old woman awakens, begging to be let go — that she doesn’t want the treasure.
Sarkar dies. The woman and her children intend to leave. Vinayak mentions the treasure rumored to be buried in Sarkar’s mansion, but Sarkar never found it. He believes the old woman knows something about it. Bad fortune befalls those who even mention the treasure. Sadashiv falls out of a tree, hitting his head. The mother must run to get help, leaving Vinayak to feed the woman. If she wakes up, he must invoke the name of Haster to make her sleep.
On the way to the doctor, the mother stops by Sarkar’s mansion to grab the coin. The old woman awakens and asks Vinayak if he wants the treasure. The trick works and she traps him. She pulls a pin from her face and pours blood over him. He has trouble but remembers the name Haster, which sends her away. His mother comes to him — Sadashiv has died — and they run. Vinayak begs to go back so he can get the treasure from her. His mother gives him the coin and tells him never to return to Tumbbad.
Fifteen years later, Vinayak lives in poverty and still thinks about the treasure. So he returns to the old woman and learns her secrets. The film follows Vinayak’s journey and the terrible lessons he learns.
The film has the structure of a morality folktale. Nothing about the narrative is surprising. Where the film goes into the unexpected is in the visuals. The legend details a god who lives in his mother’s womb, forced to live in obscurity. We see the god and the womb — wild stuff.
Everyone wears contacts to make their eyes brighter. It’s a little unsettling.
A “Smoking is injurious to Health” notice comes up when anyone smokes.
The film took Rahi Anil Barve 20 years to make. So, as a labor of love, it’s satisfying to see it come together. It’s a good movie, but it isn’t exciting.