Tumbbad has drawn in fresh audiences well past its initial release, with its viewership base continuing to expand over time. With Tumbbad 2 on the horizon, Sohum Shah has spoken about returning to the film's world, reflecting on the limited box office reception the first instalment received, the extended development period the sequel required before reaching production, and the decisions behind keeping visual effects rooted in practical, on-set methods.
During the conversation, Shah touched on the personal stories that sustain his motivation, the nature of Crazxy, the value he places on writers, and indicated that the follow-up film will leave viewers uncertain about what comes next.
When asked about the lengthy wait between Tumbbad and its follow-up, Shah put forward the view that a worthwhile screenplay demands whatever development time it requires. He noted that writing, in his view, demands adequate time to develop properly. The concept took considerable time to work through before it reached its final form. Finding a story worth telling is only the beginning, he indicated, adding that turning that raw material into a working screenplay calls for a far deeper commitment of both time and labour.
Shah noted that the widespread affection for Tumbbad alone was not sufficient reason to pursue a follow-up. He described a personal drive to pursue a project that felt distinct from previous work, stating that the motivation stemmed from a need to explore territory that felt genuinely untested — ideas that broke from convention rather than echoing what had come before.
When asked about the origins of the original Tumbbad script, Shah noted that the project's roots stretched back more than a decade, adding that crafting the sequel had occupied him for five years — a span he described as deeply formative to the work. Production of Tumbbad got underway in 2012, according to his account. Revision work stretched across roughly eighteen months before the script reached its final form, with production continuing through 2015.
By 2012, co-writer and co-director Rahi Anil Barve had accumulated a substantial body of writing work on the project, meaning the film drew on years of prior creative output.
Shah has indicated that the follow-up film is being built around moments audiences will not anticipate. Audiences can expect something fresh and unpredictable, he told reporters. When Tumbbad arrived in cinemas, promotional messaging positioned it as a viewing experience without precedent. The sequel extends Tumbbad's mythology into territory the narrative has not previously visited, taking turns that viewers familiar with the source material are unlikely to foresee.
The sequel is being directed by Adesh Prasad, who shared directorial duties on the original Tumbbad. Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Alia Bhatt both take on notable parts within the production. A theatrical release is scheduled for 3 December 2027.