‘Thamma’: A horror comedy, with less of both

The MHCU (Maddock Horror Comedy Universe) has gained much success for blending horror with comedy, delivering one superhit after another in the genre it almost reinvented with ‘Stree’. As yet another much-awaited outing of the indigenous franchise hit the screens, expectations were sky high. Not only does ‘Thamma’ come from the production house which lately can boast of hitting the bull’s eye each time, it also has an unusual pair worth rooting for.

On paper at least, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna indeed make for an interesting romantic couple. Add to it Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the blood-thirsty antagonist Yakshasan, and the serving appears chilling hot. However, in ‘Thamma’, that brings to us the Indian version of the vampire galaxy, Betaal if you will, the horror quotient goes for a toss.

Indeed, the atmospherics (cinematography is by Saurabh Goswami) are right. VFX effects have the appropriate texture, professionally executed in sync with the tone of the narrative. The world building of this universe where betaals, except for the vicious Yakshasan, have vowed not to suck human blood is on point. Their verse and that of mortal humans collide early on. Ayushmann is the bumbling journalist Alok Goel. His (mis)adventure trip lands him in the forest where these vampires live by their rules. Here, he meets the beauteous Taadka (Rashmika Mandanna), who saves him.

Full marks for turning the damsel in distress concept on its head; here, she is the saviour, at least to begin with. Rashmika’s innocent-eyed expressions present a fine contrast to the ‘prajaati’ she belongs to. Their falling in love is a forgone conclusion. The vampire-human love story is certainly not a new concept. Fans of the ‘Twilight’ series are well clued in on how this love story is possible and how it will pan out. Here, too, there are no prizes for guessing how the two, one with no heartbeat and the other whose heart beats for her, will find their common ground.

The 2-hour, 28-minute film easily races to the interval, also the inflection point. Ayushmann’s comic timing is bang-on, as is that of Paresh Rawal as Ram Bajaj Goyal and Geeta Agrawal Sharma as Sudha Goyal, playing Alok’s parents.

The film entertains as long as it stays in the comic zone. The fact that there are no chills and thrills doesn’t go so much against it either. What does is its overarching ambition to be a crowd-pleaser (two item songs), as also its bid to marry the narrative with other verses. So, ‘Bhediya’ makes a grand entry. Not only Varun Dhawan, but Abhishek Banerjee also gets to reprise his part from Amar Kaushik’s ‘Bhediya’. Indeed, tipping the hat to the production house’s earlier outings as well as the tantalising promise of more is a done thing, even if Hollywoodish in inspiration.

But if in ‘Stree 2’ the meta references hit the nail on the head unfailingly, and the Akshay Kumar angle was a banger, here the meeting of verses appears more of a distraction, especially since its new characters are underutilised. Take Nawazuddin, for instance. He is carved as less menacing, more quixotic and is deliberately over the top. He not only sings Hindi songs — ‘Panchhi banoon udti phiroon mast gagan mein, Aaj main azaad hoon duniya ke chaman mein’, for one — with gusto, but also utters many cheesy one-liners in English, some funny some not quite.

But Nawaz’s delectable style remains intact. And when he persuades the lead pair to continue with their romancing and utters, “For 75 years, I have not seen a good romance”, we wonder if he is mocking romantic films. Writers Suresh Mathew, Arun Fulara and particularly Niren Bhatt, who also wrote ‘Stree 2’, are not as sharp though. Besides, dig or not, the romance here does not sizzle.

A vampire with a beating heart worthy of the ‘Thamma’ title and seat is a well-intended thought, but despite some clever moves, the film’s heart doesn’t beat strong. The only emotive moment is between father and son and trust Paresh Rawal to get the beats of his character, howsoever implausible, right.

The far-fetched flight of imagination is the staple of horror game, only in ‘Thamma’, certain interjections like a flashback to Alexander’s invasion, references to his 3,000-year-old blood in a bottle are ludicrous and, what’s worse, simply unfunny.

Faisal Malik (remember his stellar act in ‘Panchayat’) as Inspector PK Yadav, though apt, doesn’t get the part his talent deserves. And as audiences, we don’t get the dhamaka entertainer befitting the upbeat Diwali mood.

Director Aditya Sarpotdar’s claim that his vampire tale will not be a rip-off of a foreign film is met to a large degree. But the indigenous tadka, especially connecting the origin of betaals to the epic mythical battle between Goddess Kali and demon Raktbeej, unnecessarily twists mythology. The twist in the climax leaves you wanting more; only sadly, so does ‘Thamma’.