Almost eight years after his cult horror movie Tumbbad originally released in theatres, director Rahi Anil Barve is set to return on big screen with his next Mayasabha – The Hall of Illusion, starring Jaaved Jaaferi in lead role. The film’s production house Zirkon Films just dropped a teaser trailer introducing us to the quirky protagonist of the film and giving a glimpse into his unique world. The 1-minute teaser-trailer also announced the new release date of the film.
While Tumbbad broke re-release records, the Sohum Shah-starrer’s original release failed to draw the audiences to the theatre. Courtesy its fascinating storytelling, the film got a huge response on OTT. Seeing its potential, the makers re-released the film in 2024, a move that turned it into a massive hit with its worldwide collection crossing Rs 50 crore.
Gripping tale of how illusions shape human lives
Barve is now back with is second film and going by its first look, it may turn out to be another gem from him. The long-delayed movie which has been termed as “gripping and introspective exploration of human relationships and the illusions that shape human lives” by the makers will hit the theatres on January 30, after doing rounds of various film festivals like Third Asian Film Festival and Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) 2026. It was earlier slated to release on January 16.
Inside Parmeshwar Khanna’s world
The just-released trailer introduced us to the film’s protagonist Parmeshwar Khanna played by Jaaved Jaaferi who wears a golden mark, and lives in a cluttered house along with his 14-year-old son.
“Mitti, sona ab mere liye ek hai bhai, mujhe koi farak nahi padta (dust, gold, for me they are the same brother, it makes no difference)” says the film’s protagonist.
“Mitti se yaad aaya Kabir ka ek doha maati kahe kumhaar se tu kya raunde mohe, ek din aisa aayega main raundungi tohe (The clay says to the potter what are you stomping me for? A day will come when I’ll trample you,” he further says.
Watch the teaser trailer here:
The story plot
As shared by Jaaferi in an interview with MensXP earlier, the film tells the story of a producer who fell in love with a girl who he launched and married her. However, she meets another guy on his film sets, and runs away with a lot of his money.
20 years after this incident, the protagonist only owns a dilapidated theatre with cobwebs and dust and dust all around. His paranoia of mosquitoes compels him to wear a mask all the time. His teenager son isn’t happy with how he’s living. Things change when his son brings two strangers inside the house, and takes the narrative forward.
The earlier-released poster of the movie was captioned as – “A decade ago, we unleashed a madness – an experiment too strange, unspeakable even for those who dare to fathom the abyss. The curse is finally broken. The mysterious world of Parmeshwar Khanna (Jaaved Jaaferi) will finally see the light. Enjoy your hunt.”
The film also stars Mohammad Samad, Veena Jamkar, and Deepak Damle in key roles.