Tumbbad director spent five years making one of the biggest OTT shows Gulkanda Tales, now stuck in limbo: 'Can't show a single image'

Tumbbad is one of those films that keeps on giving. Eight years after its launch, One continues to discover new readings in the epic horror story of greed.directed by Rahi Anil Barve. The filmmaker, who is now gearing up for the release of his next film, Mayasabha, starring Javed Jaffrey, slated to release this Friday, has spent the last eight years juggling multiple projects. One of them was a comedy period drama series called Gulkanda Tales for Amazon Prime Video. Backed by Raj & DK, the series featured actors like Kunal Kemmu, Patralekha, Amit Mistry and Zakir Hussain. Although Amazon announced it in 2022, the series has not yet seen the light of day.

Barve, in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, revealed the toll this uncertainty has taken. “After Tumbbad, I spent five years creating Gulkanda Tales. I gave it my all, my life’s energy. I created one of the biggest OTT shows and now I can’t show a single image of it,” he said.

lying Rahi Anil Barve on the sets of Gulkanda Tales.

Reflecting on the origins of the show, Barve recalled: “Gulkanda Tales was originally supposed to be a movie, a two-part movie. Filming started in 2019, was delayed due to COVID and continued until 2023. It was a riot of laughs. I created a world four thousand years old, an extremely strange world. It’s a show that can’t be made again and hasn’t been made before.”

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On the current state of the industry and the uncertainty surrounding projects getting the green light, he added: “I keep saying that today, the Sacred Games cannot be made. Even if they were made, they would be killed, they would be cancelled, they would be destroyed.”

Last year, several reports suggested that the streaming platform had shelved Gulkanda Tales, apparently due to content that would not sit well with the current socio-political climate. There were also rumors of financial discrepancies in the program’s budget. Responding to these claims, both Rahi Anil Barve and Raj & DK took to social media to clarify that the show is in the works. They also announced that their next collaboration, Rakht Brahmand for Netflix, is also underway.

Meanwhile, Barve is now gearing up to work on the sequel of Tumbbad, titled Pahadpangira.

Anas Arif is a prolific entertainment journalist and film analyst at The Indian Express, where he specializes in the intersection of Indian pop culture, arthouse cinema and industrial ethics. His writing is defined by a deep-rooted commitment to documenting the changing landscape of Indian entertainment through the lens of critical theory and narrative authorship. Experience and Career As a senior member of The Indian Express’ entertainment vertical, Anas has cultivated a unique beat that prioritizes the ‘art behind celebrity’. He has interviewed a wide spectrum of industry veterans, from blockbuster directors like Vijay Krishna Acharya, Sujoy Ghosh, Maneesh Sharma to experimental filmmakers and screenwriters like Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Varun Grover, Rajat Kapoor, among many others. His career is characterized by a “Journalism of Courage” approach, where he frequently addresses the ethical implications of mainstream cinema and the sociopolitical subtext within popular media. He is also the host of the YouTube series Cult Comebacks, where he talks to filmmakers about films that may not have been successful initially but have, over time, gained a cult following. The program aims to explore films as works of art, rather than mere commercial projects designed to generate box office revenue. Areas of Specialization and Focus Anas’ expertise lies in his ability to deconstruct cinematic works beyond superficial reviews. His areas of focus include: Auteur Studies: detailed retrospectives and analyzes of filmmakers such as Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap and Neeraj Ghaywan, often exploring their core philosophies and creative evolutions. Film Deconstruction: Examining technical and narrative choices, such as the use of proportions in independent films (Sabar Bonda) or the structural rhythm of iconic soundtracks (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge). Industrial and Social Ethics: Fearless criticism of commercial blockbusters, particularly as they relate to the promotion of bigoted views or the marginalization of communities in mainstream scripts. Exclusive full-length interviews: Conducting high-level dialogues with actors and creators to discover archival anecdotes and future industry perspectives. Authority and Trust Anas Arif has established himself as a trusted voice by steadily moving away from standard PR-driven journalism. Whether he is questioning the “Shah Rukh Khan mythology” in modern sequels or providing a space for independent filmmakers to discuss the “arithmetic of karma”, his work is based on objectivity and thorough research. Readers look to Anas for an educated point of view that treats entertainment not just as a commodity, but as a critical reflection of the country’s collective conscience. …Read more

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