Tumbbad 2 is being mounted on an unprecedented scale, with over 1,600 crew and junior artists creating a vast, crowd-driven marketplace set in Mumbai. Led by Sohum Shah and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the sequel pushes beyond conventional studio filmmaking, using multi-state rigging, massive AC installations and specialized lighting to deliver a more immersive folk-horror experience.
The atmospheric world-building of India's most celebrated folk-horror franchise is getting significantly bigger. Actor-producer Sohum Shah's Tumbbad 2 is being mounted on an unprecedented logistical scale, deploying monumental resources to bring its expanding mythology to life, THR India has learnt.
Starring Shah and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and helmed by director Adesh Prasad, the ambitious sequel is currently being filmed on a massive, intricately designed set in Mumbai.
According to a high-placed source close to the production, the team is determined to craft a deeply immersive cinematic experience, pushing the visual canvas far beyond conventional, controlled studio set pieces.
“The makers have mounted one of the most elaborate, unparalleled crowd-driven environments seen for an Indian film in recent years," the source reveals.
"Nearly 1,600 crew members and junior artists are involved in making a massive sequence, designed in a manner to feel like a living and breathing marketplace instead of a usual controlled film set."
Given the colossal scale of the set and the immense volume of people filling the floor, the production team had to execute an extraordinary feat just to keep the shoot operational.
The makers have installed a mammoth 1,000 tons of air conditioning alongside a heavy-duty network of industrial exhaust fans to ensure proper ventilation and maintain optimal temperature control across the packed soundstages.
"In order to facilitate such a huge requirements, the resources have to be brought from different places, vendors and cities. The idea is to make the world feel as authentic and immersive as possible while ensuring operational efficiency during the shoot," the source adds.
The visual demands of the film have been so massive that the makers had to contract multiple specialty lighting and rigging vendors from across the country to fulfill the specific aesthetic requirements.
Tumbbad 2 is being spearheaded by Shah under his banner Sohum Shah Films, in collaboration with Pen Studios, led by veteran industry champion Dr Jayantilal Gada.