Thamma film is a 2025 Bollywood Hindi romantic comedy horror film; the director is Aditya Sarpotdar. Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik are the producers, while Niren Bhatt, Suresh Mathew, and Arun Falara are the writers.
This is the fifth installment in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe. Its cast includes Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Paresh Rawal. The plot revolves around a journalist who, after meeting a mysterious woman, transforms into a vampiric creature known as Betal and must defend humanity from the bloodlust of an ancient sect.
Film shooting began in December 2024, with locations largely in Delhi, Mumbai, and Ooty, and will be completed in mid-2025. Sachin-Jigar composed the soundtrack album.
Thamma was theatrically released on October 21, 2025, coinciding with Diwali, in conventional, IMAX, 4DX, and D-Box formats. The film received mixed reviews from reviewers and was a minor commercial success, becoming the tenth highest-grossing Hindi film in 2025.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Aditya Sarpotdar
- Writer: Niren Bhatt, Suresh Mathew, Arun Fulara
- Producer: Dinesh Vijan, Amar Kaushik
- Star Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Paresh Rawal
- Cinematography: Saurabh Goswami
- Editor: Hemanti Sarkar
- Music Director: Sachin–Jigar, Ariyan Mehedi
- Production company: Maddock Films
- Genres: Comedy, Horror
- Distributor: PVR Inox Pictures (India), Yash Raj Films (International)
- Release date: 21 October 2025
- Running time: 149 minutes
- Country: India
- Language: Hindi
Thamma movie 2025 Trailer
Star Cast
- Ayushmann Khurrana as Alok Goyal
- Rashmika Mandanna as Taraka / Tarika
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Yakshasan
- Paresh Rawal as Ram Bajaj Goyal
- Geeta Agarwal Sharma as Sudha Goyal
- Faisal Malik as Inspector P. K. Yadav
- Rachit Singh as Veeran
- Alexx O’Nell as Alexander / Sikander
- Ankit Mohan as Jimmy
- Vinod Suryavanshi as Ambhu
- Hritika Kanwar as Tanya
- Deepak Kalra as Joy
- Raj Premi as Raktaksh
- Shailesh Korde as Elder Betaal 1
- Krishna Kant Rai as Elder Betaal 2
- Janardhan Kadam as the man at the graveyard
- Hashim Haider as News Reporter
- Deepak Daryani as Doctor
- Nora Fatehi as an unknown Betaal
- Malaika Arora (in the song “Poison Baby”)
- Amar Kaushik (in the song “Poison Baby”)
- Sathyaraj as Elvis Karim Prabhakar
- Abhishek Banerjee as Janardhan “Jana”
- Varun Dhawan as Bhaskar / Bhediya
- Sunil Kumar as Sarkata
Story of the film
Alok Goyal is a struggling journalist. He attempts to stage a demon sighting in a cemetery, but it backfires, and he ends up being derided as an internet meme. Undeterred, he seeks to demonstrate his bravery during a camping trip with his pals by venturing into an unmarked track and colliding with a bear, scaring his friends away and causing them to pursue him.
Tadaka, a woman, saves Alok just as the bear is about to attack him. Alok faints from exhaustion, and when he awakens inside an abandoned, wrecked plane that serves as Tadaka’s home, he is immediately smitten by her, who tells him he hasn’t fully recovered, promising to drop him off personally when he has and not go deep into the jungle again, especially at night. Over the next few days, Alok realizes that Tadaka does not act normally because her physical prowess is beyond anything he has ever seen; she gives him whole raw animals whenever he is hungry, and when she does discover something edible, she refuses to eat it herself. However, he dismisses it.
Tadaka vanishes silently one night, and Alok ventures back into the bush, ignoring her prior warnings, only to be knocked down by a gang of guys he witnesses Tadaka argue with. He is subsequently carried to Tadaka’s true home, a village populated by betaals. Tadaka begs to let Alok go, stating that he knows nothing about them or her true identity, and that she hasn’t told him anything either. She almost persuades them, but Alok, who has gone partially and temporarily deaf as a result of being knocked out so hard, becomes confused and mistakenly insults the betaals. She sends the betaals who knocked Alok out to hunt them down, but they manage to elude them. Alok urges Tadaka to come with him, and while she initially refuses, Alok reminds her that she promised to drop him off personally, and that he will not allow her to be punished simply to release him.
Alok and Tadaka discover a means to return to Alok’s parents’ house in Delhi. Tadaka is shrouded in mystery, and Alok’s father is skeptical. Tadaka renames herself Tarika to persuade Alok’s parents, and she struggles to get enough food. Alok plans to take her out to supper, where she can eat non-vegetarian foods. On their journey home, the same group of men pursues Alok and Tadaka, intending to attack her. Alok gets out of the car and wants to resolve the situation gently by talking. When he is unable to do so, Tadaka loses and attacks them like a betaal.
Alok chases her bus, and just as he’s ready to reconnect with Tadaka, the car tips over, killing him. She saves his life by biting him and transforming him into a Betaal. Yakshasan detects the metamorphosis and rejoices because he will soon be freed from the cave now that Tadaka has broken the rule prohibiting betaals from becoming humans, and the betaal criminal will take his place in captivity as punishment. Tadaka helps Alok learn to handle his new talents and negotiate his new life as a betaal.
Alok’s father observes the vampire-like teeth. When the truth is revealed to him, he refuses to accept it and brings his kid to the exorcist Prabhakar, who informs him that Alok’s condition cannot be rectified. Janardhan “Jana” is also with Prabhakar, looking for help for his werewolf cousin Bhaskar, who was badly hurt during the fight with Sarkata, a headless monster.[b] Prabhakar claims that Bhaskar can be treated with the blood of a Betaal. Bhaskar finds Alok and battles him, transforming into a hybrid with just one drop of Alok’s blood. Tadaka rescues him just in time. They then seek protection from Yadav, who transports them to the nearby betaal bar. It turns out to be a trap: they drug Alok before confronting Tadaka about her infraction and ordering her to leave town.
Tadaka surrenders to the group and is imprisoned for violating the sect’s rule against consuming human blood. Alok travels to the country of the betaals, where he and Yakshasan engage in a fierce combat. Alok gets knocked down, and just as Yakshasan is about to slay him, their deity performs a miracle and saves him. Alok gets the beating heart of the sect’s deity, defeats Yakshasan with his new powers, and takes over as leader.
Yakshasan is returned to the cave, but Sarkata appears to release him. Alok, Tadaka, and other sect leaders prepare to hunt Yakshasan. Alok is told that he will need extra powers to combat him, and that only werewolf blood can make him stronger. Bhaskar, in his new werewolf form, approaches the betaal sect’s temple.
Production
Development
Dinesh Vijan’s next production endeavor, Vampires of Vijay Nagar, was rumored in July 2022 to star Ayushmann Khurrana and Samantha Ruth Prabhu and was set to begin filming late that year. However, it was delayed because the creators prioritized the recently announced Stree 2. Later in April 2023, it was confirmed that filming would begin at the end of the year.
In June 2023, Maddock announced 15 new projects, including VOV—Vampires of Vijay Nagar —aimed at expanding their horror-comedy universe and establishing a series of cinematic adaptations of The Arabian Nights.
The film was released a year later, in June 2024, with Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna playing the key parts. The film was also mentioned in the post-credits scene of Stree 2 (2024). On Diwali 2024, the film’s announcement trailer was published, revealing the title Thama. Later, in September 2025, the title was changed to Thamma in accordance with numerology. In an interview with Zoom, director Aditya Sarpotdar clarified that the film is not a horror-comedy like previous installments in the Maddock Horror-Comedy Universe, but rather a romantic comedy laced with supernatural and legendary themes rather than just anchored in folklore.
Casting
In June 2024, the lead actors were named as Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna. Nawazuddin Siddiqui joined the cast as the primary antagonist in October 2024. Malaika Arora and Nora Fatehi will make cameo appearances in the songs, while Varun Dhawan made a cameo appearance in the film, reprising his role from Bhediya (2022). Samantha Ruth Prabhu was originally cast as the lead actress but opted out due to a Myositis diagnosis, even returning her signing fee.
Filming
Film Shooting began in December 2024 at Mumbai’s Chitra Studios. However, the shooting was postponed because Mandanna damaged her leg. Later, filming started in March 2025 at Film City in Mumbai, where sets depicting Delhi’s residences, streets, and graveyards were created. Filming began in April 2025 amid the jungles of Ooty, the Nilgiri Hills, and Dodabetta. Various aspects of Siddiqui’s character genesis, such as how he became the vampire, were also filmed in Ooty. Khurrana, Mandanna, and Siddiqui completed their shares by May 2025. The special songs with Arora and Fatehi were filmed in July 2025.
Songs/Music
Sachin-Jigar created the film’s music, and Amitabh Bhattacharya wrote the lyrics.
The debut song “Tum Mere Na Huye” was released on September 29, 2025. The second single “Dilbar Ki Aankhon Ka” will be released on October 7, 2025. On October 10, 2025, the third single “Rahein Na Rahein Hum” was released. The fourth single “Poison Baby” will be released on October 13, 2025.
| No. | Title | Singer(s) |
| 1 | “Tum Mere Na Huye” | Madhubanti Bagchi, Sachin–Jigar, Rana Mazumder, Sumonto Mukherjee, Divya Kumar |
| 2 | “Dilbar Ki Aankhon Ka” | Rashmeet Kaur, Jigar Saraiya, Abhishek Singh, Amrit Sharma |
| 3 | “Rahein Na Rahein Hum” | Soumyadeep Sarkar, Sachin–Jigar |
| 4 | “Poison Baby” | Jasmine Sandlas, Sachin-Jigar, Divya Kumar, Sumonto Mukherjee, Abhishek Singh, Noor Parmar, Hitesh Purani |
Marketing
On August 18, 2025, the first look posters for the movie were made available. On August 19, 2025, the World of Thamma teaser for the movie was made available. On September 26, 2025, the movie’s trailer was unveiled during a function at Bandra Fort in Mumbai. Viewers criticized it for having repetitious and derivative humor, but they praised Dhawan’s presence.
Release
Theatrical
On October 21, 2025, in conjunction with Diwali, the movie was released globally in normal, IMAX, 4DX, and D-Box formats.
Home media
On December 16, 2025, the movie went up on Amazon Prime Video.
Distribution
Yash Raj Films distributed the movie abroad, while PVR Inox Pictures handled distribution in India.
Review
Critics gave Thamma mixed reviews, praising its music and images while criticizing its humor, storyline, climax, and lack of fear in comparison to other films. With an average rating of 5.3/10, 36% of 11 reviewers’ reviews on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes are favorable.
“Overall, THAMMA is a well-packaged entertainer that reinforces why the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe continues to be a franchise worth tracking,” wrote a Bollywood Hungama critic who gave the movie a rating of four stars out of five. Strong box office collections are certain to result from the winning combination of its genre appeal, brand value, and the extended Diwali weekend.
Hindustan’s Rishabh Suri Overall, Thamma feels less like another franchise installment and more like the moment the MHCU fully finds its rhythm, according to the Times, which gave the movie a 3.5-star rating. It combines heart and humor with unexpected assurance, leaving you wondering what will happen next—and for once, that interest feels well-founded.
Thamma concludes on a thrilling note, hinting at the next chapter of the horror-comedy universe, according to Dhaval Roy of The Times of India, who gave the movie a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5. It’s an incredibly enjoyable film that keeps the Stree universe alive and well with its captivating humor, powerful acting, slick cinematography, and creative VFX.
Thamma was capable of much more, according to Titas Chowdhury of News18, who gave the movie a rating of three stars out of five. For the first time, vampire mythology is being explored in a mainstream Hindi movie. Yes, there is a ton of masala. However, we had such high expectations from MHCU’s previous movies that you would feel dry and euphoric by the end of Thamma. There was plenty of space for experimenting, and there was a lot of opportunity to push limits and take risks. However, in the end, the narrative stays oddly restricted and becomes merely another horror-comedy with timed clichés.
Firstpost’s Vinamra Mathur gave the movie a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5, stating that while Thamma has ambition, imagination, and sweep, it is also monotonous and overly long. After a while, the vampire jokes lose their humor. There’s also an awkward kiss. Memories of a man-mountain Hrithik Roshan from the climax of Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage are brought back by another flimsy moment (this time not in a nice way) that depicts a Herculean Ayushmann Khurrana.
The Times’ Tanmayi Savadi Rashmika Mandanna receives the meatiest role in the entire horror comedy universe, according to Now, which gave the movie a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5. She has a significant part and character to portray. Ayushmann Khurrana is charming and funny. Nawazuddin Siddiqui straddles the line between hilarious and embarrassing, leaning more toward the latter.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui gives the title part a remarkable degree of flash and flair, according to Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV, who gave the movie a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5. Even if it seems to be on the verge of overkill, it is a masterfully calibrated performance. That is somewhat accurate for the entire movie. It occasionally teeters on the edge but never falls.
India’s Vineeta Kumar Thamma is an ambitious but shallow addition to the Maddock horror comedy universe, according to Today, which gave the movie two stars out of five. There is not much soul, yet there is blood, turmoil, and even a connection to the universe.
The world-building of Thamma feels a bit like enthusiastic writers’ room ideas that never make it past a draft, according to Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter. The possibilities are unlimited because this genre is not well-known in Hindi. However, the emphasis is more on originality than subtlety; any political references are like diluted draught beer in a dive bar in Mumbai. There isn’t enough discussion of how the movie’s fictions and real history interact.
