Cinema VinesAlthough Aanand L. Rai produced the 2018 horror‑thriller Tumbbad, he has made it clear that he will not be involved in the upcoming sequel starring Alia Bhatt. In an interview, Rai explained that creative freedom was the main reason for his decision: “For some reason nahin, aur wo creative reasons hain. What you want is a certain kind of freedom to make decisions when you are creating something.” He added that while he admired the original film, he did not feel the story needed to continue in the same vein.
Rai’s comments come after Sohum Shah announced a prequel to the original film, bringing Alia Bhatt on board. Despite the high‑profile cast, which also includes Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rai’s name is absent from the credits for the new project, which is slated for a December 3, 2027 release. He wishes the team well, stating, “They will make a great film but I keep the decision to myself what film I want to join.”
While Rai distances himself from Tumbbad 2, he remains in the spotlight for other achievements. He recently received a National Award for his documentary Statue Of Unity: Ekta Ka Prateek, winning Best Director in the non‑feature film category. Rai said the honour does not change his working style: “Mujhe mere hisse ka pyaar mil jata hai. Awards and rewards sar aankhon par, but it’s the love and being a vessel of a poignant story is what it’s all about for me.”
Looking ahead, Rai plans to start a new directorial venture in 2027, targeting a release either at the end of that year or in 2028. He expressed a renewed interest in documentary filmmaking, noting that the National Award has motivated him to explore the non‑feature category further. “We need to learn more in the non‑feature category. It’s a different form of storytelling and the filmmakers in our industry need to learn a lot more when it comes to this form, and we are doing good,” he said, adding that future documentaries will play a vital role in documenting a country’s foundation and history.
