The fourth installment in Maddock Films’ ever-expanding horror cinematic universe (MHCU), Thamma is as ambitious as it is atmospheric. Branded boldly as the “bloodiest love story” of the franchise, the film attempts to marry romance and horror in a tale where vampires roam dense Indian jungles, comedy clashes with carnage, and familiar faces return to build toward something bigger. While Thamma delivers on certain fronts – particularly its tonal consistency and world-building – it stumbles when it comes to emotional depth and originality.
AT A GLANCE
Film: Thamma
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Paresh Rawal & Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Director: Aditya Sarpotdar
Rating: ★★★☆☆
As with most Maddock productions, Thamma boasts a compelling background score and album. The music, eerie yet energetic, elevates several scenes, especially those that could’ve easily tipped into melodrama or absurdity. The haunting sonic landscape becomes one of the film’s most consistent assets, enhancing tension and providing a strong backbone to the narrative. thamma review
Rashmika Mandanna, in perhaps her most unconventional role yet, plays a vampire living in isolation within the jungles. To her credit, she leans into the wide-eyed innocence required for the role and her performance is committed, capturing the wonder, confusion, and primal instincts of someone learning about the world and love for the first time. It’s a refreshing take on the vampire trope, and Mandanna rises to the occasion, for the first time in her Hindi cinema career. thamma review
Ayushmann Khurrana, meanwhile, returns to his comedic roots, portraying a human who finds himself entangled in supernatural absurdity and eventually, fangs of his own. His comic timing is good, and he carries much of the film’s levity on his shoulders. Watching him wrestle with falling for a vampire while simultaneously becoming one is both funny and tragic, though the film never quite decides which emotion to prioritise and we don’t get to see much of a character development for anyone.
Unfortunately, this tonal indecision reflects most starkly in the core romance. Marketed as a sweeping, genre-defying love story, Thamma struggles to build genuine chemistry between its leads. What begins as a curiosity-driven infatuation never matures into anything deeply felt. As a result, the stakes – emotional or otherwise – don’t land as they should. The romance feels like an obligation rather than an organic development.
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Nawazuddin Siddiqui, cast once again as the antagonist, feels oddly redundant. Though he fits the role of a brooding, villainous vampire with evil leanings, it’s a performance that echoes his past work a little too closely. There’s little new ground here, and what should have been a chilling presence ends up as a checkbox in the casting directors’ list. thamma review
Where Thamma succeeds is in being a solid piece of the larger MHCU puzzle. Fans of the franchise will be pleased with the world-building that subtly sets the stage for the next phase, centered around a supernatural war – wolves versus vampires. The cameos are satisfying without being overwhelming: Janardhan (played by Abhishek Banerjee) returns as the ever-watchful, universe-threading figure (think Nick Fury with a MP accent), Varun Dhawan reprises his role as Bhediya, and two other surprises that are best left unspoiled.
Ultimately, Thamma is a film that does more heavy lifting for the franchise than it does for itself. It’s entertaining in parts, bolstered by its performances and humour, but the promised “bloodiest love story” is neither quite bloody enough nor tender enough to leave a lasting impact. It’s a decent addition to the Maddock horror canon, worth a watch for fans but perhaps not a repeat one.
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