How Sohum Shah found 'closure' in 'Tumbbad' re-release
What's the story
2024 has been dominated by a wave of re-releases in Hindi cinema with reportedly over two dozen films hitting the theaters again.
Among them were not just past hits but also cult classics like Laila Majnu and Tumbbad that had flopped initially.
Interestingly, Tumbbad turned out to be the most successful Hindi re-release at the box office.
In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, actor-producer Sohum Shah opened up about this phenomenon and his learnings from it.
Initial disappointment
Shah felt 'Tumbbad' didn't get justice in original run
Tumbbad managed to rake in only ₹15 crore at the box office when it was released in 2018. This left Shah with a sense of dissatisfaction.
He told HT, "I had not gotten the closure for Tumbbad... I always felt there was something we could not achieve."
"There is a word 'malaal.' I had that in my heart that I could not give this film what it deserved. Tumbbad did not get justice, I felt."
Box office redemption
'Tumbbad' re-release brought satisfaction for Shah
When Tumbbad was re-released, it contributed a whopping ₹38 crore to its earnings, turning the film into a hit six years after its release.
This success gave Shah the closure he had been looking for.
He shared, "The re-release removed all those thoughts. I felt now, that circle is complete in my life."
"Tumbbad, for me, was like my own child."
Re-release journey
Shah's journey to re-release 'Tumbbad' amid challenges
Shah had wanted to re-release Tumbbad as early as 2018 but was advised against it due to a saturated release schedule.
Subsequently, he got busy with acting projects and finally found an opportunity to re-release the film in 2024.
"On social media, people are not interested in who Sohum Shah is. All they wanted to know was 'When is Tumbbad 2 coming?' and 'Why are you not re-releasing Tumbbad?'"
"Once the re-releases began, the messages became a flood, a deluge."
Marketing insights
'Tumbbad' re -release: A lesson in marketing for the actor
The re-release of Tumbbad helped the film reach a younger audience, many of whom weren't even teens when it was first released. The experience taught Shah important lessons about marketing.
He said, "I think the year's biggest learning was that I understood marketing a little, which is important for people making independent films."
"We are passionately making films like Tumbbad and Ship of Theseus. But now I feel we have understood some aspect of marketing with the Tumbbad re-release."