Thamma box office: Maddock Films’ first romantic movie likely to beat Bhediya, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 on release date

Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna and Nawazuddin Siddiqui come together for Maddock Films’ first romantic movie, Thamma. Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and showrun by Amar Kaushik, the horror-comedy deepens the studio’s supernatural universe. Thamma is all set to be released on October 21 during Diwali 2025.

Developed over a period of four to five years, the idea originated as a one-line concept during the pandemic. Khurrana plays a Betal, a vampire-like spirit from Indian folklore. He is caught between humour, action and romance. The story revolves around how an ordinary man deals with supernatural powers.

When Stree was released in 2018, few imagined it would grow into a full-fledged cinematic universe. Seven years later, Maddock Films’ horror comedy franchise includes Stree, Stree 2, Bhediya and Munjya. The Bollywood production company has rewritten the success mantra. Thamma now joins this line-up.

Producer Dinesh Vijan credits Stree’s theatrical success for inspiring the concept of a horror-comedy universe.

“Someone once told me, ‘build your own box’. It stayed with me. When ‘Stree’ fired, I started looking at it like that. The universe formed itself properly by ‘Stree,’ and today we’ve got worlds, planets, rules and surprises that all connect,” Vijan told Variety.

“The legend of Thamma is genuinely Indian source material. We often look at Western concepts, but the origin of many of these ideas is ours — way before anything the West has shown,” Dinesh Vijan told the publication.

Ayushmann Khurrana, known for balancing entertainment and social themes in films like Andhadhun and Article 15, explores fantasy for the first time with Thamma. Ayushmann calls it the “most sought-after universe in Hindi cinema”.

“It’s less of horror and more of comedy, romance and action — the first romantic film of the Maddock horror comedy universe,” Ayushmann Khurrana told Variety.

Rashmika Mandanna, known for films such as Animal, Pushpa: The Rise and Dear Comrade, believes Thamma characters are deeply rooted in Indian culture yet carry a modern charm.

“These are such rooted characters in our Indian culture, but at the same time they have such swag... I’m as surprised by the outcome as the audience will be,” Mandanna told the publication.

Thamma vs Bhediya vs Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

Among Bollywood’s biggest horror-comedy openings, Stree 2 leads with an impressive ₹64.8 crore, including paid previews. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, despite clashing with Singham Again, took second place with ₹36.6 crore on day one.

Golmaal Again follows with ₹30.14 crore while Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Bhediya rank fourth and fifth with ₹14.11 crore and ₹7.48 crore, respectively.

Now, Thamma is expected to open above ₹13 crore at the Indian box office, according to Koimoi. This strong start will likely push Bhediya out of the top five list. According to the publication, the movie may even surpass Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.