Before Thugs of Hindostan, several other international films were set in the Thuggee cult.
Thugs of Hindostan is certainly one of the most awaited films of 2018 and with the release of the film’s logo and the short clip introducing Amitabh Bachchan’s character Khudabaksh, fans are certainly keen to know more about the film.
Thugs of Hindostan is based on the 1839 novel Confessions of a Thug by Philip Meadows Taylor. The book is the based on the Thuggee cult that gained notoriety during the 18th century. But Thugs of Hindostan isn’t the first film that explores the stories of this cult.
Yesteryear icons Dilip Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar and Vyjayanthimala starred in a film called Sunghursh in 1968. It was based on a short Bengali story by legendary writer Mahasweta Devi, titled Layli Asmaner Ayna. Set in Varanasi, it depicted a fictionalised account of vendetta within a thuggee cult.
The Deceivers that released in 1988 also explored the story of the same cult. The film starred Pierce Brosnan, Shashi Kapoor and Saeed Jaffery amongst others. The Deceivers was based on a book of the same name that was written by John Masters in 1952. Here, Pierce Brosnan enters the cult to spy on them and finds himself being attracted to their ways. The film was met with harsh reviews.
In the 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Amrish Puri played the role of a priest who was a part of the Thuggee cult.
British film The Stranglers of Bombay that released in 1959 explored the cult’s story from the point of view of the British East India Company. The Stranglers of Bombay starred Guy Rolfe and Jan Holden in pivotal roles.
Italian film Kidnapped to Mystery Island was also based on the same cult. Directed by Luigi Capuano, the film was the story of a girl who is kidnapped by the cult and watches them make ritualistic sacrifices.
Thugs of Hindostan is being projected like an epic and with YRF producing the film, we can assume that they will leave no stone unturned in making a visually stunning epic. With Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan in lead roles, this film is definitely the one to watch out for.