I knew Thamma worked when kids started talking about it: Aditya Sarpotdar
Filmmaker Aditya Sarpotdar reflects on the success of ‘Thamma’ and his journey within the growing horror-comedy universe of Maddock Films, sharing insights on world-building, working with stars like Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, and what lies ahead for the franchise.
As ‘Thamma’ completes its fourth week at the box office and continues to attract the family audience, director Aditya Sarpotdar reflects on the film’s journey with pride. The film starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna is the latest film from the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe (MHCU), which was loved by both kids and adults during the festive season. For Sarpotdar, who had earlier given the hit ‘Munjya’ in (MHCU), the response was both reassuring and inspiring.
Sarpotdar said, “Thamma is in its fourth week at the box office, and the performance has been really encouraging and very positive. It felt great that being released on Diwali, a festival, brought in a huge number of people who really appreciated the film. Families and children especially showed a lot of love – and when the children started talking about the scenes they enjoyed, that’s when I knew the film had worked.”
Now, after 2024’s ‘Munjya’ and ‘Thamma’, Sarpotdar has clearly found his groove in the horror-comedy arena. The real charm isn’t just the genre’s mix of scares and laughs – it was the intense world-building that came with it.
Sarpotdar has emerged as one of the brains behind MHCU along with Amar Kaushik, Dinesh Vijan and Niren Bhatt. He said, “When I was finishing ‘Munjya’, Amar Kaushik approached me for ‘Thamma’ and what really excited me was not just the horror-comedy genre, but the world it was based on.”
He further added, “The idea of ’Betaal’ having supernatural beings co-exist in our timeline appealed to me. And then, a story where ‘the beast and the beauty’ fall in love – with Ayushmann’s character being human and Rashmika being supernatural – made it even more compelling.”
‘Thamma’ featured veteran actors like Paresh Rawal and Nawazuddin Siddiqui along with actors like Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna. For Sarpotdar, this was both a challenge and a defining moment in his career.
She added, “It was incredibly exciting to work with such seasoned actors like Ayushmann, Rashmika, Paresh sir and Nawazuddin. This was my first big-cast Hindi film and my second theatrical release, so it was a huge opportunity. These actors brought experience and conviction to their roles – they worked hard to make their characters memorable. And when a character works, the film works. Together, we kept honing in on the nuances and pushing for strong performances.” Keep giving.”
With ‘Thamma’ joining the expanding Maddock horror-comedy universe – which already includes ‘Stree’, ‘Bhediya’ and ‘Munjya’ – Sarpotdar understood the importance of giving each film its own identity.
He said, “To make a Maddock Universe film different, the story has to be unique.” “That’s what attracted me to ‘Thamma’. I tried to bring my own sensibility and voice – the way I imagined the ‘Betaal’ world, the jungle, even Delhi – they all had a specific tone. Amar Kaushik and I saw our worlds differently, and that made each film different. Maddock gave us the support, equipment and technicians to make those dreams come true. When I heard the one-line pitch of ‘Thamma’ When I read it, I immediately saw the world, and what we ultimately shot matched that vision perfectly,” he said.
As ‘Thamma’ continued its successful run, Sarpotdar had already started thinking about the future of the Maddock universe. The production house has announced its next slate – which includes ‘Shakti Shalini’, ‘Chamunda’, ‘Bhediya’ sequel and the much-awaited ‘Stree 3’.
“After ‘Thamma’, the focus was on the next film in the Maddock universe. Each one will have its own unique story and commentary on the world we live in. Instead of looking at what was, we were looking forward to what could be. That was the exciting part – expanding this world further while continuing to surprise audiences,” he said.
The Maddock film universe produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films has become India’s first major horror-comedy series. It started with ‘Stree’ (2018) and continued with ‘Stree 2’ (2024), ‘Bhediya’ (2022), ‘Munjya’ (2024) and the latest ‘Thamma’ (2025). The films contain a mix of Indian folklore, scary fun, emotions and social messages. Each story introduces new mythological creatures while being connected through small hints, recurring characters, and post-credits scenes. With upcoming films like ‘Stree 3’, ‘Shakti Shalini’ and ‘Chamunda’, the Maddock universe is getting bigger and more exciting for the audience.
