Thamma (2025) Review: A Blood-Soaked, Hilariously Confused Diwali Blast!!!

Director: Aditya Sarpotdar (The Munjya guy, right? He’s great!) 

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Paresh Rawal 

Genre: Horror-Comedy, Romantic, Supernatural. (But mostly just a lot of supernatural.) 

Runtime: 2 hours and 30 minutes (Felt longer in the second half, TBH). 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)

The Plot: More Vampires, Less Logic (But Who Cares?)

(Photo Credit: IMDb) Thamma

Okay, so Maddock is back at it with their Stree-verse, or is it the Dinesh Vijan Cinematic Universe now? Whatever you call it, Thamma is the fifth entry, and they decided to go all-in on vampires. Not those sparkly ones, but old-school Indian folklore ones called Betaals (reminded me of that Vikram aur Betaal show, anyone remember that?).

Ayushmann Khurrana plays Alok Goyal, who starts off as this mild-mannered historian—which is perfect casting because Ayushmann always plays the sensible guy who suddenly has to deal with weird stuff. He's researching these ancient vampire myths (which, let’s be real, is a niche career), and then poof, he gets turned into one by the evil Yakshaasan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Yakshaasan is like the King of all Betaals, and he wants to unleash chaos, obviously.

The real fun starts when Alok meets Tadaka (Rashmika Mandanna). She’s a mysterious, fierce woman who is also somehow tied to the vampire world, but she's not totally a vamp. Their love story is the core of the film—it’s very star-crossed, a bit bloody, and they have genuinely fantastic chemistry. The script is surprisingly witty, especially Alok’s inner monologue as he figures out how to be a vampire while still being Alok. I loved the bits with Paresh Rawal, Alok’s dad, who is just trying to understand why his son is suddenly terrified of garlic and sleeping in a coffin. Those family scenes were the real heart of the comedy.

Performances: Nawazuddin Is WILD

This cast is stacked. Seriously, they spent a lot of money on this thing (I heard it was like 150 crore, which is huge for a comedy!).

Ayushmann Khurrana (Alok): He is in top form, man. After a few slightly underwhelming movies (I still stand by Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, though!), he absolutely nails the transition from confused human to conflicted vampire. He toggles between genuinely scared and genuinely hilarious. His comic timing is back. You can tell he’s having a blast with the fangs.

Rashmika Mandanna (Taraka—wait, is it Tadaka? I forget): She is the biggest surprise. She gets the most challenging, complex role of her career, and she absolutely sparkles. Her action sequences are top-notch, and she holds her own against both Ayushmann and Nawazuddin. Her character is basically the only one with a real moral compass in the supernatural world.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Yakshaasan): Pure gold. He doesn’t even need sharp teeth; his eyes are enough. He is the eccentric, unpredictable villain we love to hate. Every scene with him is electrifying. He is totally going to win the award for Best Negative Role next year, mark my words.

Paresh Rawal (Alok’s Dad): He is the comic relief GOAT, and his timing is impeccable. He doesn't do much except worry and crack one-liners, but every one lands. We need more of him, frankly.

The Good, The Bad, And The Confusion

The Good: The music by Sachin-Jigar is incredible. "Tum Mere Na Huye" is the anthem for forbidden love now, and the choreography in "Poison Baby" is pure fire! I think Nora Fatehi had a special appearance in that one? Or was it Malaika Arora? Wait, the results say Nora for the song and Malaika for a special appearance. I guess I’ll have to watch it again to figure out who was dancing! Either way, the background score is brilliant, especially in the chase scenes. The VFX, for once in a Bollywood horror film, looks genuinely expensive and good.

The Bad: The pacing. Oh, the pacing. The movie dips a lot in the second half. It gets bogged down with too much mythology exposition. I had to lean over and ask my friend, "Wait, so are the Betaals like, good guys or bad guys now?" The editor, Hemanti Sarkar, should have been a little tighter on the scissors. Also, I don't know who Arun Falara is, but they needed to simplify that lore a bit.

The Confusion: The cameo! Varun Dhawan shows up as the Bhediya, and it’s a total fan moment. It’s too short, though. They keep teasing the expanded universe, but when are we getting the actual Avengers-style team-up? I'm waiting for Shraddha Kapoor's Stree to show up and give Alok vampire-slaying advice!

Final Verdict

Thamma is an absolute blast of humor, horror, and heart. It takes a big swing by making a vampire movie rooted in Indian folklore, and for the most part, it connects. Go for the chemistry, stay for Nawazuddin being totally unhinged, and bring a notebook for the confusing vampire family tree. Definitely the movie to see this Diwali! Highly recommended. Go watch it on October 21st!

P.S. I think they had to cut a lot of the kissing scene, the censor board is so strict these days! You could tell they faded out fast.