Filmmaker Rahi Anil Barve has released the first motion teaser for his second feature, Mayasabha, which is set to hit theatres on 16 January 2026. The teaser offers an early look at a project Barve has been shaping for nearly ten years. Barve, best known for the cult hit Tumbbad, returns after a long stretch of experimentation and rewrites. According to the makers, Mayasabha is not a follow up to Tumbbad in tone or form. Instead, it introduces a world and narrative structure that the team describes as unlike anything in mainstream Indian cinema.
The story follows four central characters on a treasure hunt that begins in lockstep with the audience’s own discovery of the film’s world. As the plot advances, the characters and viewers experience the unfolding mystery in different ways. The characters react to the dangers in front of them, while the audience is confronted with truths the characters are unable to perceive. The creators say this split perspective is designed to keep viewers emotionally tied to the protagonists while giving them a wider view of the stakes.
The climax is said to be the film’s most radical turn. Barve reportedly abandons the usual rules of thriller storytelling and opts for a structure that challenges audience expectations.
Visually and thematically, Mayasabha continues Barve’s interest in myth, psychology, and elaborate world building. The team promises a darker and more intricate canvas than his debut, with an emphasis on symbolism, mystery, and the tension between hidden power structures and personal fear.
With the teaser now out, the production has begun its long run-up to release. Mayasabha arrives in theatres on 16 January 2026.
