‘Nawaz’s character was created round Vikram Betaal.’
‘Betaal was slightly extra gimmicky, humorous; he would snort at you, tease you.’
‘That is why I made Nawaz very quirky.’

IMAGE: Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Thamma. {Photograph}: Form courtesy Maddock Movies/Instagram

Thamma is successful and Dinesh Vijan’s formidable movie franchise, newly christened because the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe (MHCU), simply scored one other winner.

Director Aditya Sarpotdar, who earlier helmed one other hit movie on this universe, Munjya, says his dedication to the MHCU is a “long-term plan” which he describes as “creatively thrilling” work.

“As soon as Munjya launched, and Stree 2 launched, we acquired slightly extra assured about going one step forward when it comes to constructing the universe,” Aditya tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff within the first of an attention-grabbing two-part interview.

Are you proud of the reception Thamma has acquired?

All people labored actually laborious on this movie. We’re absolutely planning to rejoice the success very quickly.

The fundamental concept was to provide you a theatrical neighborhood expertise and entertain households this Diwali.

Children and even elders, everyone, all demographics of persons are going to the theatre. That’s actually heart-warming.

Thamma isn’t just a horror-comedy, but in addition a romantic movie. How difficult was to pack such wide-ranging themes into one uniform story?

We at all times knew that we wished to make a romantic movie first.

The story revolves round what the lead characters really feel for one another.

Then to comply with that, it needed to have a sure sense of comedy and thrill to it, because it was being made within the horror-comedy universe.

Past that, essentially the most difficult half was to start out constructing a number of storylines from completely different motion pictures into this movie.

Thamma can be very distinctive, since you see the universe coming along with this movie.

Until now, all the opposite motion pictures that you have seen, even Stree 2, you had cameos in possibly one scene right here and there.

However this was predominantly a movie the place you’ll undoubtedly see how the universe goes to attach within the additional elements.

This was very difficult.

 

IMAGE: Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna in Thamma. {Photograph}: Form courtesy Maddock Movies/Instagram

Had been you at all times meant to direct Thamma, or did it come to you after Munjya‘s success?

I used to be at all times meant to direct Thamma.

It occurred once I was taking pictures the final schedule on Munjya. My producer requested me if I used to be serious about doing a vampire film.

This concept was at a really, very, primary degree. They wished to discover the concept and take it forward.

After I learn it, I discovered it very thrilling. I mentioned, I am very, very, eager and serious about doing this.

That is the place we began.

So, whereas Munjya was in post-production and launch, we have been engaged on the script.

As soon as Munjya launched, and Stree 2 launched, we acquired slightly extra assured about going one step forward when it comes to constructing the universe.

Initially, it was extra of a single movie. It was extra of a movie the place the story and the narrative have been restricted in the direction of the character within the movie.

However then with the entry of Bhediya and the way the face-off between Bhediya and Thamma could be additionally constructed to hold ahead within the universe, all of these issues began coming in.

We have been engaged on this movie for practically a year-and-a-half when Munjya was being shot. It took one other year-and-a-half of taking pictures and post-production.

IMAGE: Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna on the Thamma poster. {Photograph}: Form courtesy Maddock Movies/Instagram

The title was earlier spelt as T-H-A-M-A within the announcement video, however later it was tweaked with a double ‘M’.

See, that could be a sole resolution by the producer. He has a variety of religion in numerology.

It is the identical even with Maddock, the double D in Maddock.

Initially, the identify of the movie was Vampires of Vijaynagar. Then it was modified to Thama after which finally to Thamma.

That concept of double M was simply purely for a luck issue. That is it.

Throughout your Marathi movie Zombivli, you mentioned you needed to make zombies extra native, extra Indian. What was the inventive thought behind this one?

Vampires, similar to zombies, is a really Western idea. You realize them by means of English and European movies.

In Zombivli, there is a zombie outbreak in Dombivli (a metropolis in Thane district, Maharashtra) the place a viral an infection turns folks into zombies. We tried to make it as reasonable and as plausible as doable.

Rickshaw-wallahs, auto drivers, roadside sellers change into zombies. It turns into extra private and extra relatable. Similar with Thamma.

The vampires delusion is originated from Japanese Europe, the place there may be fixed chilly climate and no daylight. All of that lends extra conveniently and simply to a vampire dwelling and surviving there.

In case you carry that very same vampire to Indian tropical climate, then they’ll perish very quickly.

We thought this isn’t gonna make sense.

So we mentioned let’s attempt to discover our personal references to what vampires could be, and that’s the place the analysis began.

I got here throughout some actually attention-grabbing articles and outdated references to betaals, which even have a primary core concept as vampires.

So the concept of betaals originated within the Indian subcontinent.

We have grown up watching Vikram Betaal.

Nawaz’s (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) character was created round Vikram Betaal. Betaal was slightly extra gimmicky, humorous; he would snort at you, tease you.

That is why I made Nawaz very quirky.

For us, Betaal turned the bigger concept. Now, we do not name it the vampire anymore. That is why the title was modified from vampire to Thamma.

I studied it slightly additional to see what these betaals have been and the place they got here from, and what this concept was.

I got here throughout these Pishach Betaal Yakshas, who have been blood-suckers within the very jap Indian reference, which is extra within the Odisha-West Bengal area. They have been additionally alleged to be those who drank Raktbeej ka blood.

That’s how this complete delusion was created from.

IMAGE: Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna in Thamma. {Photograph}: Form courtesy Maddock Movies/Instagram

Had been you greatly surprised by Lokah, the Malayalam movie, due to its thematic similarities with Thamma?

It’s simply pure coincidence, man.

See, Lokah is extra vampire. Then again, Thamma is betaal.

Even when the DNA of the character could be very related, they’ve caught extra to what a vampire is, like who will get burned in daylight, who wants solely blood, and who drinks human blood and all of that.

We’ve got modified our betaals to change into slightly extra Indian.

Once more, I really feel it is a huge coincidence that these two very related movies got here in a interval of three months. However there was no such plan.

We each belong to very completely different genres. Lokah is a really superhero, critical, drama.

Our movie was extra of a household comedy entertainer. Very, very completely different genres.

Additionally, we’ve got two fully completely different markets. Lokah being a core Malayalam movie, and we’re a core Hindi movie catering to a special demographic.

What did you consider Lokah while you watched it?

I beloved the movie. 100 per cent!

I went first day, first present. It was a unbelievable movie.

I’ve at all times been following Malayalam cinema. Each good Malayalam movie that releases, I make it some extent to go and see.

I particularly watched Lokah as a result of it had Dulquer Salmaan’s identify hooked up to it. I mentioned I’ve to go and see it.

I fee him extremely as a creator, as an artist.

After I noticed the movie, I did attain out to him and congratulated him.

He was very enthusiastic about Thamma. He was like I am actually certain that you simply guys will get an excellent response.

Images curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff