Thama (2025) – Romantic Comedy Horror with Mythical Vampires

Thama (2025) is an upcoming Hindi romantic comedy horror film directed by Aditya Sarpotdar. It blends love, myth, and supernatural horror into what promises to be a unique entry in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe. With its theatrical release scheduled for 21 October 2025, lining up with Diwali, high expectations already surround Thama, thanks to its star-cast and intriguing premise.

Genre & Position in the Universe

Thama is described as a romantic comedy horror, rather than a pure horror comedy. That means it delivers elements of romance and humor along with supernatural aspects, including mythology and vampire lore.

It is the fifth installment in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, which has previously delivered films mixing horror, comedy, and folklore (e.g. Stree, Bhediya, Munjya, Stree 2)—each exploring different mythologies or supernatural beings. Thama aims to expand that universe with vampire mythos, romance, and horror blended together.

Cast & Characters

Thama features a strong ensemble cast:

• Ayushmann Khurrana plays Alok, presumably the male lead in the romantic thread.
• Rashmika Mandanna is cast as Tadaka, likely to be the female lead.
• Nawazuddin Siddiqui appears as Yakshasan, possibly the antagonist with a supernatural or mythical dimension.
• Paresh Rawal as Ram Bajaj Goyal, a supporting yet significant role.
• Cameos / special appearances: Varun Dhawan reprises a role from Bhediya as Bhaskar (or Bhediya), Malaika Arora and Nora Fatehi will feature in special song appearances.

This mix of actors promises a combination of strong acting, comic timing and gravitas. Ayushmann and Rashmika bring the romantic angle, while Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Paresh Rawal bring intensity and breadth.

Plot & Theme Highlights

While the full plot details are not yet disclosed, available information gives us a fairly good idea of what Thama will deliver:

• The film involves vampire themes. It was initially announced under the title Vampires of Vijay Nagar, which suggests vampire lore plays a central role.
• The creators have clarified that Thama is not going to be a straight horror-comedy, as with some previous entries in the universe. Instead, it will more carefully balance romance, comedy, and mythological horror. That means more emotional stakes, romantic tension, relationship arcs, and love stories intertwined with horror elements.
• Because it is set to release around Diwali, and with its romantic comedy horror genre, you can expect Thama to aim for both mass appeal and seasonal festive cinema.

Production Details

• Principal photography for Thama began in December 2024, primarily in Delhi, Mumbai, and the hill areas of Ooty (Nilgiri Hills) including Dodabetta.
• The shoot encountered a delay when Rashmika Mandanna got a leg injury; filming was paused and later resumed.
• Sets were built in Film City, Mumbai recreating Delhi houses, streets, graveyards, indicating that the aesthetic and atmosphere are carefully considered: horror settings, mythic or graveyard settings, supernatural vibes.
• Songs: Special song appearances by Malaika Arora and Nora Fatehi were filmed in mid–2025; Varun Dhawan’s cameo was shot over six days.

Music, Cinematography & Technical Team

• Sachin–Jigar have composed the music, potentially meaning lively songs, romantic tracks, and possibly spooky or thematic background score fitting for horror moments.
• Saurabh Goswami is the cinematographer, and Sanyukta Kaza is editing. These names suggest experienced professionals who will likely help in creating the visual mood needed for horror, myth and ambience.

Marketing & Promotion

• First look posters for Thama were released in mid-August 2025 (18 August 2025).
• The teaser, titled World of Thama, released around 19 August 2025, indicates that the filmmakers are leaning into the vampire and mythical angle with love and “bloody twist” marketing language.

Release Date & Timing

• Scheduled to release worldwide on 21 October 2025, coinciding with Diwali, which is a major festive time in India and often attracts big audiences to theatres.
• The film is distributed by PVR Inox Pictures, produced by Maddock Films, and co-produced by Amar Kaushik.

Anticipation: What Makes Thama Interesting

Here are some of the reasons Thama is generating buzz:

1. Combination of genres: romantic + supernatural horror + comedy myth mix is still relatively fresh in mainstream Bollywood. The vampire twist adds suspense and myth.
2. Strong cast: Ayushmann Khurrana is known for versatile roles; Rashmika Mandanna adds romantic lead charm; Nawazuddin Siddiqui brings intensity; Paresh Rawal brings strong supporting presence.
3. Festive release: Being released during Diwali means the filmmakers believe Thama has broad appeal—light-entertaining horror, romance, songs, possibly even mass Christmas-like festive viewership in Diwali season cinemas.
4. Part of the universe: The Maddock Horror Comedy Universe has been successful in combining folklore, myth, and horror with humor. Fans of earlier installments like Stree, Bhediya, Munjya etc. will likely watch Thama for both novelty and connection to those films.
5. Visual promise: Filming in hills, graveyard sets, mythic elements, vampire lore, night scenes — all suggest good visuals, potential for strong cinematography, spooky atmosphere.

Challenges & What Could Make or Break Thama

While Thama looks promising, there are potential pitfalls to watch out for:

• Balance of genres: Since it is romantic comedy horror, getting the balance right—too much horror might alienate romance-fans; too much romance/comedy might weaken the horror tension.
• Myth vs. logic: Vampire myth (if not done with strong logic or consistent world building) can sometimes feel over-the-top or unconvincing.
• Expectations: Audiences might expect high scares or strong horror moments; if Thama leans too light, some horror-fans may feel short-changed.
• Special appearances: Cameos by big stars or song numbers by Malaika Arora, Nora Fatehi etc. can boost appeal, but sometimes they can feel disconnected if not integrated well.
• Release pressures: Diwali releases often require heavy marketing and strong reception; flop potential in festive season is risky, especially with competition.

Conclusion

Thama (2025) has all the elements to be one of the standout Bollywood films of the year: romance, horror, myth, big names, vampire lore, and a festive release date. If the script, direction, and visual/supernatural execution are strong, Thama could appeal both to mass audiences looking for entertainment and to horror/mystical genre lovers seeking novelty and mythic thrill.

Keep an eye out for its teaser (World of Thama) and posters if you enjoy films that combine supernatural folklore with emotional story arcs and seasonal cinematic appeal.

Watch Thama on YoMovies

For those planning ahead: once Thama (2025) is out, you’ll be able to stream it in full HD on YoMovies—a great platform for horror, romance, myth, and thrills all in one place. Only on YoMovies.

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