Thama: Nawazuddin Siddiqui`s character to not die in film, to be part of sequel

Legend suggests that vampires aren’t exactly easy to kill. And it looks like director Aditya Sarpotdar, whose next Thama will see Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a vengeful vampire, doesn’t want the character to be killed, at least for now. Even as the Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna-starrer is being readied for release, mid-day has learnt that Siddiqui’s character will be carried forward in Thama’s second instalment as well.

The Diwali release is centred on the romance between the leads, with Siddiqui playing a centuries-old vampire who travels to the present day to complete his unrequited love story. The first look, which was released last week, revolved around his character with the voice-over describing him as the most powerful being in the horror comedy universe.

Rashmika Mandanna, Ayushmann Khurrana and Paresh Rawal

A source says, “While Sarkata, the antagonist in Stree 2 [2024], is shown destroyed in the end, Nawaz’s vampire will not be killed in Thama. His character is shown as one who cannot be vanquished. In folklore, vampires are portrayed as all-powerful beings who can be killed only by a stake through the heart, beheading, or exposure to sunlight. Aditya as well as producer Dinesh Vijan were certain that they wanted the character to take the story forward in the second instalment. They have designed the end in such a way that it hints at a sequel.”

Siddiqui won’t be the only one spearheading the franchise’s next chapter. Khurrana, Mandanna, and Paresh Rawal too will reprise their roles. The source adds, “The way Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, and Abhishek Banerjee have become part of the Stree franchise, this quartet will be the regulars of Thama. Ayushmann plays a historian while Paresh’s character is shown studying vampires and their mythology. Unlike Stree and Bhediya that have comedy at their centre, this movie, with screenplay and dialogues written by Rohan Shankar, will have romance at its core.”

New chapter in the universe

‘Thama’ is the latest addition to the on-screen universe that includes the feminist comedy ‘Stree’, the werewolf comedy ‘Bhediya’ (2022), and ‘Munjya’ (2023), which draws from a folk story in the Konkan region.