Thamma writer decodes plot of Ayushmann Khurrana-Rashmika Mandanna's film: 'Based on Indian folk tales existed before The Vampire Diaries'
Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna's Thamma is based on Indian folk tales. Netizens have claimed that Thamma is India's answer to The Vampire Diaries. Here's how Thamma wroter reacted to it.
Last Updated: 01.48 PM, Oct 06, 2025
Thamma is an upcoming Indian horror-comedy film from Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films' franchise. The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Paresh Rawal. The 'bloody love story' is all set to be released in cinemas on October 21. Ahead of the release, the writer of the film, Niren Bhatt, opened up about the plot.
Thamma writer on film's comparison with The Vampire Diaries
Speaking to Zoom, Niren Bhatt, the writer of Thamma, reacted to netizens lauding Ayushmann Khurrana's film as India’s answer to The Vampire Diaries, a popular youth-centric show (2009 to 2017).
He said that they are trying to create stories based on our folk tales and our mythologies because our scriptures and culture are so rich. "If you talk about vampires, they are there in all cultures, like Chinese, Persian, Greek, and there have been legends in popular culture. In the West, it came around like 100 years back with Dracula stories, but The Vampire Diaries is a 10-year-old thing," he said.
He further added that our scriptures have had this for thousands of years, like the story of Singhasan Battisi and the stories of Vikram and Betal. Betal is a riddle story.
"Each time Vikram gets on his back, he tells him a story and asks him a question in the end. If Vikram gives the wrong answer, then he'll go back to the tree. That thing has always been there in our culture, and it came way back before The Vampire Diaries and the Twilights of the world," Niren explained.
About Thamma
Thamma is a 2025 Indian horror-comedy film featuring Ayushmann Khurrana as a historian investigating Indian vampire folklore, and Rashmika Mandanna in a romantic, potentially supernatural role. The story unfolds across two timelines, modern-day Delhi and the ancient city of Vijayanagar, exploring themes of love, immortality, and supernatural forces. The film also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a vampire, Paresh Rawal, and others, and it is part of Maddock Films' Horror-Comedy Universe, like Stree, Stree 2, Bhediya, and Munjya.
Catch Thamma in theaters on October 21, 2025!
FAQs
Q: Is Thamma connected to Stree?
A: Yes, Thamma is connected to the Stree universe, created by Maddock Films, which also includes the films Stree and Bhediya. Ayushmann Khurrana will star as a vampire in Thamma, which is part of this horror-comedy franchise.
Q: How is Munjya linked to Stree?
A: The universe-building began with Bhediya, in which characters from Stree appeared. This was followed by Munjya, where characters from Bhediya and Stree appeared. Bhediya's characters continued in Stree 2, making Stree and Bhediya the central link connecting the three films.
Q: When can I watch Thamma?
A: Thamma will hit theaters on October 21, 2025.