Mayasabha Review: Another Haunting Tale Of Gold And Human Greed by The Tumbbad Maker

RATING - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 3/5*

Mayasabha Review Movie Talkies:

Rahi Anil Barve delivered the finest film of the decade with Tumbbad and left me completely in awe. Almost eight years later, he returns with Mayasabha, while many cinephiles are still waiting for an update on his much-discussed Tumbbad trilogy. I watched Mayasabha today at the Third Eye Asian Film Festival in Dadar, Mumbai, and I can say this loud and clear: Barve definitely has a unique mind as a filmmaker. He sees the world differently. Tumbbad had gold and human greed as its driving forces, and Mayasabha too is propelled by those very elements. However, it is not as great as Tumbbad. That said, it is still a good film and a solid situational thriller, provided you don’t walk in with Tumbbad-level expectations. There is some sharp commentary on human greed and trust once again, and that aspect works quite well. The film ultimately concludes with a powerful line: “Trust matters, Gold doesn’t.”

View this post on Instagram

Avatar Fire and Ash Third Week Collections: Continues Underwhelming Run in Disney India’s Worst Year –

Mayasabha Story:

Mayasabha loosely connects to the core theme of Arjuna Mayasabha tale, but it primarily uses the central conflict as its major turning point. The story revolves around an isolated theatre called Mayasabha. A washed-up, half-sane film producer lives there with his son. The son invites two friends for a party, but their intentions are far from innocent—they are searching for hidden gold. The producer joins the gathering and begins venting his frustration by revealing secrets from his past. Among the guests is a woman who seduces both the producer and his son, though only the latter truly falls for her. She then plays a blind shot that hits the bull’s eye. The question remains: will the producer be able to save his gold—and his son?

Mayasabha Movie:

It’s a mysterious film layered with meanings. At its core, it speaks about trust. How the producer was betrayed by his wife and her lover. How trusting her blindly led him to lose everything—his wealth, stability, and eventually his sanity. How he was forced to raise his son alone in this isolated, dusty place. The woman seduces the son, and he trusts her unquestioningly, mirroring the producer’s own youthful mistake. But wait—we are talking about trust, right? There are twists, shocking ones at that, followed by a solid ending that ultimately justifies the film’s central theme of delusion, adopted from Arjuna’s tale. In between, the film treats us to several intellectually rich lines—Kabir’s doha on mitti, the idea that the fish is the last to recognize water, and more such philosophical observations. Trademark Barve stuff, you could say.

Mayasabha Cast:

The cast includes a couple of familiar faces from Tumbbad. Mohammad Samad is convincing, just as he was earlier in Tumbbad, and Deepak Damle does a fine job. Jaaved Jaaferi is a complete show-stealer. His deadly presence—first with the mask and then without it—is striking. His accent, wild energy, and liberal use of MC-BC expletives oddly sound good to the ears and suit the character perfectly. Veena Jamkar, as the femme fatale, initially follows vintage tropes but makes a strong shift towards the end. The film revolves around these four characters, and keeping us engaged is what mattered most—and they deliver.

View this post on Instagram

WATCH VIDEO: Nupur Sanon & Stebin Ben Dance Together At Their Sangeet Ceremony –

Mayasabha isn’t a high-budget film and is largely set within a single location. Yet, it is haunting. The theatre, rooms, DDT machine, WC, kitchen, and the dead auditorium—much like what we saw in Natsamrat—are all effectively used. The sound design is decent, though the background score could have been more intense. Visually, the film boasts some excellent frames and pan shots, clearly showcasing the cameraman’s finesse. Technically, it’s top-notch considering its limited budget, and the dialogues are another major highlight.

Mayasabha Movie Review:

Rahi Anil Barve creates another fascinating story here, though Tumbbad remains on a different pedestal altogether. This is a human story—far removed from horror and heavy mythological elements—and perhaps that’s why it doesn’t feel as haunting. Still, as a standalone film rooted in a simple world of human desire and deceit, Mayasabha qualifies as good cinema. Barve’s intellectual kick still works, even if the destination is different this time. Overall, a fine watch—and certainly far better than most of the crap Bollywood has offered us in the post-pandemic era.

Stay tuned to Movie Talkies’ website and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), along with our YouTube channel, for the latest updates, breaking news, box office reports, movie reviews, celebrity spotting, and interviews from Bollywood, television, OTT, Hollywood, and regional cinema, including South Indian films.