In a recent statement, Ayushmann Khurrana set the record straight about his new film ‘Thamma’, revealing that it dives into the realm of ‘betaals’ from Indian folklore rather than the typical vampire narrative. He noted that the title is inspired by Ashwatthama, thanks to producer Dinesh Vijan’s innovative vision for this engaging horror-comedy.
‘Thamma’, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, is all set to hit cinemas tomorrow. The film from the horror-comedy universe is believed to be based on vampires. However, the male lead of the film has clarified, stating that it is not about vampires.
Ayushmann Khurrana says ‘Thamma’ is not based on vampires
In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Ayushmann Khurrana shared that ‘Thamma’ is about betaals and not vampires. For the unversed, a betaal is an evil spirit in Indian mythology that haunts cremation grounds and takes demonic possession of corpses. Speaking about the movie, the actor said, “Hum isko bolte hain betaalism (We call this Betalism). Betaal hai, vampire nahi (It’s betaal and not vampire).”
Ayushmann Khurrana says the film is not influenced by the Western concept of vampires
The actor cleared the confusion by stating that the concept of the movie has not been inspired by Western tales but by Indian folklore. He said, “It’s based in Indian folklore. ‘Thamma’ humare film ka naam hai; Ashvatthama se iska (Our film’s title is ‘Thamma’, which has been derived from Ashwatthama).”He further added, “Thamma from Ashvatthama, Dinesh Vijan hain yeh. Unhone ne idea nikala, and the most powerful betaal is Thamma (Dinesh Vijan has thought of this idea, and hence the most powerful betaal is Thamma).”
More about ‘Thamma’
It is the fifth film in the horror comedy universe that started with ‘Stree’. Starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Paresh Rawal, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the movie has been directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, who had directed ‘Munjya’ from the same film universe. It is all set to hit theaters on October 21, 2025.While there are no other big releases on the same day, the Bollywood movie will be clashing with Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’, which is running successfully at the theaters. The film is in its third week since the release on October 2, 2025. Go to Source
