Thamma Review: Strong concept, Fades in Execution

Thamma is another movie from the Maddock Horror Cinematic Universe, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna in the main leads, supported by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Paresh Rawal, and Sathyaraj in key roles. Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, with music by Sachin–Jigar and cinematography handled by Saurabh Goswami.
Story:
The movie starts in 323 BC, showing Yakshasan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), an old vampire who attacks Alexander’s army.
In the present day, journalist Alok (Ayushmann Khurrana) meets Taadka (Rashmika Mandanna), a vampire living among humans.Both fall in love, but in that process Taadka breaks an old vampire rule.
What is that rule? What happens to Alok and Taadka because of it, and who finally becomes “Thamma” forms the rest of the story.
On Screen Performances:
•Ayushmann Khurrana does well as Alok. He balances humor and emotion nicely, and his antics create good fun after the major twist.
•Rashmika Mandanna looks beautiful and performs with intensity. She gets a very good role as Taadka and impresses with her acting. Her switch from aggression to affection is handled superbly.
•Nawazuddin Siddiqui looks powerful as Yakshasan, but the role doesn’t match his caliber. He hardly gets proper screen time or a solid backstory.
•Paresh Rawal, Sathyaraj, and others are adequate, supporting the narration.
•There are a couple of surprise roles which are best experienced on screen.
Analysis:
The movie starts off on a promising note, introducing the Bhetal world. All scenes around this setup are engaging and interesting.
Once the story shifts to the normal world, the family portions slow the momentum a bit. Not saying that we should not have scenes related to family, but the humor quotient could have been better here.
The story again picks up in the pre-interval episodes, where Taadka explains the Bhetal world and its connection to the post-Independence era.
The interval block is strong and raises curiosity for the second half.
However, the entire second half drifts away from the original plot shown earlier.
It feels like the makers wanted a crossover with other Maddock films, which adds many unwanted scenes that block the main narration.
Because of this, the emotional bond between the lead pair gets diluted, and the film ends with a weak closure, clearly teasing another crossover movie.
Another drawback is the absence of a strong villain. Despite casting Nawazuddin, his role is written very weakly. If the villain character had been developed properly with a good arc and a detailed back story, the entire conflict would’ve looked much stronger.
Director Aditya Sarpotdar handles the concept well initially, but the writing and pace go off track later.
Sachin–Jigar’s music and Saurabh Goswami’s camera work are impressive.The visuals are rich.
Highlights:
•Bhetal world building
•Strong performances by Ayushmann and Rashmika
•Good visuals and background score
Drawbacks:
•Slow narration in parts
•Forced crossovers
•Weak emotional connect in the second half
•No strong villain
Verdict:
Thamma begins with a great idea and solid performances but loses its way in the second half. The movie looks rich and has a few memorable moments, yet fails to hold the emotional core.
Telugubulletin.com Rating 2.5/5
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