Horror-comedy can be a powerful tool for social commentary, as previously showcased by Maddock Films with hits like Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya. However, this week’s offering, Thamma, seems to lose its way, prioritizing the expansion of a ‘desi multiverse’ over delivering a truly compelling narrative. Drawing inspiration from Hindu mythology’s blood-sucking ‘betaals,’ director Aditya Sarpotdar and his team of writers set out to create a fascinating world exploring the coexistence and conflict between humans and these supernatural beings. Unfortunately, both the underlying themes and the surface story feel underdeveloped, leaving audiences with what tastes like an unsatisfying Deepavali treat.
The plot follows Alok Goyal (Ayushmann Khurrana), a journalist obsessed with sensational supernatural stories. A freak encounter with a wild bear leaves him injured, only to be nursed back to health by Tadaka (Rashmika Mandana), a mysterious girl from a jungle tribe with no heartbeat. Here, the formidable Thamma (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), the tribe’s leader, is confined to a cave, a punishment for defying rules during the country’s Partition – an intriguing blend of myth and modern history that unfortunately doesn’t fully blossom. Alok convinces Tadaka to join him in the city, where she transforms into ‘Tarika’ but remains an outsider. His father (Paresh Rawal, perfectly cast for high-energy comedy) views her with suspicion, while his doting mother (Geeta Agarwal Sharma, becoming Bollywood’s quintessential mom) is bewildered by her dietary habits. This setup offers another missed opportunity to explore the unique dynamics of an interspecies romance within a traditional family setting. A subsequent accident then turns Alok into a blood-sucking entity himself, posing the central question: can he truly shed his humanity?
Thamma (Hindi)
Regrettably, much of the film’s potential for subversive commentary remains theoretical. The movie often feels stilted and self-conscious, as if the genre’s requirements were fed into an AI to churn out predictable jokes and comedic scenarios.
The first half, in particular, suffers from mechanical execution. It feels like a dimly lit, rather dull adventure, primarily serving to perpetuate the Stree-Bhediya-Munjya supernatural universe. The audience is constantly a step ahead of the characters, and the narrative unfolds more like a rudimentary college skit on vampires. Neither the horror elements truly frighten, nor does the inter-specific romance evoke genuine emotion, leaving the comedic aspects feeling forced and superficial.
Furthermore, the mythological narrative, especially the recurring Raktabeej story, feels overdone and lacks fresh imaginative input in contemporary Hindi cinema. The inclusion of item numbers feels algorithmically precise rather than organically integrated, and it’s only in the second half that the film begins to embrace its darker, more complex tones.
Within this ambitious, larger-than-life universe, it’s frustrating to see actors resort to exaggeration. Rashmika often appears wide-eyed without clear justification, and the visible influence of a dialogue coach detracts from natural performances. Ayushmann seems determined to project a superhero image, marking a departure from his usual everyman roles. Meanwhile, Nawazuddin Siddiqui chews through the VFX-laden scenery in an attempt to channel the cunning ‘betaal’ made famous by Sajjan in Ramanand Sagar’s Vikram-Betaal.
A still from ‘Thamma’ | Photo Credit: Maddock Films
While the actors are not inherently poor, they are let down by lazy writing that takes far too long to find its stride. Fortunately, after the intermission, the narrative gains momentum, and director Aditya truly infuses the screenplay with substance and direction. Crucially, the subversion and deeper thematic layers, which are essential to making this cinematic universe truly engaging, finally come into play. When the social dynamics of belonging and exclusion take center stage, the audience begins to connect emotionally, and Sachin Jigar-Amitabh Bhattacharya’s composition “Rahein Na Rahein Hum” starts to resonate. The high-stakes face-off between Bhediya (Varun Dhawan in a cameo) and Betal in a Delhi neighborhood raises the tension, and the energetic presence of Sathyaraj (reprising his role as the flamboyant exorcist from Munjya) skillfully weaves together the supernatural strands from disparate universes. Enhanced by genuine humor from Abhishek Banerjee and Faisal Malik (of Panchayat fame), the second half proves far more engaging.
Interspersed throughout, there are a few intriguing insights into animalistic behavior among humans and the significance of truthfulness among animals. The angered wolf, for instance, cannot bear to see its own reflection, and when our newly transformed Betal lies, his canines instinctively emerge. A subtle, albeit underdeveloped, caste dynamic is also hinted at through a Yadav police officer who harbors a secret.
Ultimately, for a layered narrative to succeed, both its superficial and profound elements must consistently coalesce. In Thamma, this rarely happens. In an era where creative endeavors are often judged by a simple ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down,’ Thamma lands squarely in the ambiguous middle.
Thamma is currently playing in theatres.