By - Amit kumaR Agarwal
The horror-comedy universe that Maddock Films has made is showing the chinks - the cult that was started by Stree, showed chinks with Bhediya, Stree 2 reined in the damage - but Thamma, in spite of a great teaser, falls flat mainly because of the writing.
Alok (Ayushmann Khurrana) is an 'aspiring' journalist; he goes to the jungles to create that 'trending hit' reel. A bear attacks him, his life is saved by Tadaka (Rashmika Mandana). Soon Alok realises that Tadaka is a betaal (demon). However, Tadaka tells Alok that she has fallen in love with him, which Alok reciprocates in spite of knowing her identity. Unfortunately, Alok meets with an accident one day and dies. To bring him to life again, Tadaka bites him, thus converting Alok into a betaal.
The biggest undoing of the film is that there is hardly comedy, it is more of a thriller that is too lame to be called a thriller in essence.
It is a screenplay of convenience and it seems that the makers have taken the audience for a ride in the name of horror-comedy universe.
Ayushmann Khurana is fine, not great. Rashmika Mandana gives a restrained performance, Unfortunately, Paresh Rawal and Nawazuddin Siddiqi are wasted - Nawaz also has to re-invent himself as his act in films after films are getting repetitive. The pick of the lot from the actors is Abhishek Banerjee, he is there only for one scene - but that is the only scene in the film that holds attention.
Aditya Sarpotdar's direction is very weak, with hardly any elevation moments in the film.
On the whole Thamma fails to give a Stree kind of high, but leaves you dry with a Bhediya kind of feel. After the holiday season, the film is bound to fall flat.