Mumbai: Alia Bhatt marked the eighth anniversary of Tumbbad on Monday with a playful Instagram tribute that also points forward: the actor, already announced for the sequel, is stepping deeper into Hastar’s mythology.
Bhatt posted a selfie wearing an eye mask printed with the line ‘So Jaa Warna Hastar Aa Jayega’, a reference to the film’s supernatural figure, and wrote, ‘Happy 8 years to the entire #Tumbbad team.’ Actor-producer Sohum Shah replied, ‘Looks like Hastar has a new favourite! Thank you @aliabhatt.’
From cult slow-burn to sequel
Tumbbad released on October 12, 2018, and gained a devoted following for its blend of horror, mythology and folklore. Bhatt said in July that she will join Shah and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Tumbbad 2. ‘Tumbbad has stayed with me ever since I first watched it. Very few films create a world that feels this original and immersive,’ she said at the time, adding that she was eager to explore a character in the film’s mysterious world.
The anniversary matters because it shows how a Hindi film can convert word-of-mouth credibility into franchise capital years after release. Tumbbad was not built on opening-weekend scale; it accumulated reputation slowly, and the sequel is now using that accumulated trust as its base.
The week’s other notes
- Ananya Panday will make her hosting debut at IIFA 2027 in Abu Dhabi, joining Varun Dhawan and Karan Johar at Etihad Arena on Yas Island on January 22-23, 2027.
- Bipasha Basu is returning to acting after six years in Hansal Mehta’s untitled Prime Video crime drama, alongside Sunny Kaushal and Vishal Jethwa. The series is set in a small town becoming a heroin trafficking hub.
- Dr Sriram Nene, Madhuri Dixit’s husband, recalled that at their 1999 wedding reception he recognized Amitabh Bachchan from Amar Akbar Anthony but not Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan, because he had grown up on Hollywood films.
- Aditi Rao Hydari, ahead of her 40th birthday on October 28, said she would tell her younger self ‘not to listen to the noise’ and to trust people who nurture and challenge her.
- Tamannaah Bhatia shared a Mata Ki Chowki for Navratri; Kirit Somaiya filed a police complaint questioning Imran Khan’s participation in election protests.
What to watch
For readers keeping a record of Hindi cinema, the through-line is continuity: a cult film moving into sequel, a performer returning after a long gap, and a debut host taking the IIFA stage. The details are still thin on Tumbbad 2 and Basu’s character, so the useful posture is watchful patience rather than early verdicts.
Source: INDIA New England News
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