‘Thamma’ opens strong: Ayushmann, Rashmika film bags ₹32 Cr, tops previous day-one hits
Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna’s horror comedy ‘Thamma’ opened with a strong performance at the box office on Tuesday. The film leveraged the Diwali holiday in India, earning ₹25 crore net domestically on its first day. Globally, it added another ₹7 crore, taking the worldwide opening day total to an impressive ₹32 crore.
According to Maddock Films, the opening day net in India stood at ₹25.11 crore (₹30 crore gross). Box office tracker Sacnilk reported that morning shows drew low footfalls, with just 15-16% occupancy. However, attendance rose sharply in evening shows, reaching over 40%, driven by positive word of mouth.
Overseas, the film earned just under $250,000. Analysts said the moderate start abroad was expected. Diwali is not a holiday in most international markets, and the film released mid-week in several territories. Despite that, the global total contributed significantly to the strong worldwide opening.
The day-one collections place ‘Thamma’ among the best Hindi film openings this year. It outperformed ‘Saiyaara’ (₹30 crore) and other entries in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe (MHCU). For instance, it surpassed ‘Stree’ (₹10 crore), ‘Bhediya’ (₹12 crore), and ‘Munjya’ (₹5 crore) on opening day. However, it fell short of blockbuster launches like ‘Chhaava’ (₹47 crore) and ‘Stree 2’ (₹80 crore), which remains the highest opening for an Indian horror film.
Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, ‘Thamma’ tells the story of two vampires, played by Ayushmann and Rashmika, who fight against Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a rival vampire seeking world domination. The film includes cameo appearances by Varun Dhawan and Abhishek Banerjee, connecting it to the larger Maddock horror universe.
Critics have praised the film’s humor, visual effects, and storytelling. Many noted that the chemistry between the lead actors adds charm, while the screenplay balances horror and comedy effectively. Social media reactions also boosted the evening footfalls, showing that audiences responded well to early reviews.
Industry experts highlighted that the Diwali timing played a crucial role. “Festive releases always see higher occupancy,” said a trade analyst. “Thamma benefited from both holiday enthusiasm and a strong franchise fanbase.” The film’s performance also signals growing audience acceptance for genre-bending horror comedies in India.
As of now, ‘Thamma’ ranks among the top grossing openings of the year and continues to draw viewers in India and abroad. Analysts expect the film to maintain strong momentum through the weekend, potentially breaking more records in the MHCU franchise.
