The latest directorial venture of Aditya Sarpotdar, Thamma, featuring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, has been the hot topic of discussion nowadays mainly for the fact that it not only earned a lot of money through the box office but also had three item songs that got lots of views. The supernatural thriller that has made ₹125 crore worldwide and has got the audience and the critics to wonder if such scenes are necessary in a film of this genre.
The Controversy
Not long after the movie was released, Thamma got mixed reactions from the audience, especially concerning the three “item numbers.” While critics said that the songs just didn’t fit in with the gloomy and dark narrative, some even called them unnecessary and distracting. Also, there were many discussions on social media about whether the modern audiences have already become tired of such traditional cinematic elements as forcefully including dance music in serious or horror film genres.
Director’s Response
Responding to the remarks made against him, director Aditya Sarpotdar stood his ground and made it clear that the music was not just a way to attract the audience. He said in his statement, “All these things are marketing assets that lead you into the film. What matters is what you take away from the film at the end.”
Similarly, Sarpotdar also drew references from his past film Munjya, in which songs that were similar were well-received. “This is the same crowd that could not have enough of ‘Taras’ in Munjya and ‘Aaj Ki Raat.’ Nobody complained then. But now it’s suddenly an issue. Perhaps it is just that people are not taking it lightly this time, as it is happening more often,” he remarked.
Moreover, he said that the “vampire world” of Thamma required a great deal of visual and musical extravagance, and he concluded his speech by saying, “These songs are the backbone of the world we’ve created in the storyline, and they generate the energy, not the distraction.”
The Film’s Context
Thamma, released on October 21, 2025, is a combination of dark comedy and supernatural themes. It is a Maddock Films production and tells the story of Alok (Ayushmann Khurrana), a reporter whose meeting with a strange woman (Rashmika Mandanna), who belongs to a vampire-like clan, brings a new meaning to his existence. The movie is a blend of myth, fantasy, and humor, which is a bold experiment in the changing Indian film landscape and also adds to a new addition in the Maddock multiverse.
The Larger Debate
The controversy concerning Thamma brings to light the still-present debate over the engagement of creative storytelling versus commerciality in the Bollywood industry. The Indian viewers are changing, and now they expect the songs to be a part of the story instead of just beautifying the film. Sarpotdar’s defense for the movie strengthens the argument about the constant tension between the artists’ liberties and the audience’s tastes in the case of mainstream cinema.
Despite the mixed reviews, Thamma is still doing very well at the box office, which means that the main attraction of the movie has not changed. The film, whether accepted or rejected by the public in terms of its artistic choices, has surely brought about a necessary discussion around the evolving vocabulary of the Indian cinema audience.
