Before Labubu, India Had Tatya Vinchu ‘The OG Horror Doll'
Tatya Vinchu made its first appearance in the 1993 horror comedy film Zapatlela.
The much-trending Labubu doll has kept social media buzzing. A quirky, toothy doll, created by Hong Kong's Kasing Lung and produced by Pop Mart International Group, Labubu's origin is said to be inspired by Lung's The Monster Trilogy, with its roots in Nordic mythology. Despite the dolls becoming a global sensation, we Indians might have already gotten our very own creepy doll. Remember Tatya Vinchu from the 1993 horror comedy Zapatlela? The one who managed to send chills down our spines every time it uttered, 'Om Phat Swaha."
Way before the Labubu dolls turned into an internet obsession, Tatya Vinchu first appeared in the 1993 Marathi film, Zapatlela, terrifying and captivating an entire generation. Over the years, it has emerged as India's OG horror doll. For those who don't know, Tatya Vinchu wasn't just a gimmick prop but a devilish possessed puppet whose menacing eyes and shrill laugh etched him into the minds of the Indian audience for a very long time.
The Arrival Of Tatya Vinchu
Mahesh Kothare-directed Zapatlela saw the first-ever appearance of the menacing puppet, combining horror and humour in an interesting manner. The film's story follows a police inspector who finds a criminal's soul taking refuge in a doll.
The doll—namely, Tatya Vinchu—was operated by renowned ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye and voiced by veteran actor Dilip Prabhavalkar. With a lot of practical effects and a crisp narrative, Zapatlela became a cult classic, and Tatya Vinchu got fixated in the collective memory of Marathi-speaking households. In today's time, Ramdas's son, Satyajit Padhye, carries the legacy forward from films to stages and even social media.
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However, a major shift came in 2019 when Lung partnered with Pop Mart and started mass-producing blind-box collectibles, boosting worldwide demand. The true frenzy started in April 2024 after Blackpink's Lisa showcased a Labubu keychain, triggering viral demand. With this, the dolls even reached the likes of global stars like Rihanna, Madonna, Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, and more.
Today, there are over 300 variants of Labubu in both plush dolls and keychains.
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