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Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna’s *Thamma* is making waves at the Diwali box office with a great mix of thrill, laughter and romance. The fifth film in the Maddock horror comedy universe made a strong comeback on its first Saturday, earning ₹13 crore domestically—up 30% from Friday’s ₹10 crore—taking its five-day total in India to ₹78.60 crore (total ₹94.25 crore). With earnings of approximately $20 lakh (₹16.50 crore) overseas, its worldwide gross reached ₹110 crore, making it a runaway hit.

Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and written by Niren Bhatt, Suresh Mathew and Arun Phulara, *Thamma* is the story of a skeptical journalist (Khurrana) who, after an unfortunate encounter with a mysterious woman (Mandanna), transforms into the vampire Betaal. Together with his unlikely companions—including Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a sly antagonist and Paresh Rawal as a comical villain—he battles an ancient bloodthirsty curse that threatens humanity. Released on October 21 amid a clash with *Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat*, the film garnered three times more screens, further increasing its popularity.

19.72% viewership in Hindi on Saturday reflected positive hype, and families thoroughly enjoyed this genre-based thriller. There was a strong surge in Diwali collections on Day 1 (₹24 crore), which outweighed the declines on Day 3 (₹13 crore) and Day 4, as audiences appreciated Khurrana’s versatile acting and Mandanna’s charming charm. Now, *Thamma* has overtaken Varun Dhawan’s *Bhediya* (₹68.99 crore lifetime) and *Sunny Sanskari’s Tulsi Kumari* (₹60.35 crore), and has joined an exclusive club as Maddock’s fourth horror-comedy to cross the ₹100 crore mark—after *Stree*, *Stree 2* and *Munjya*.

Trade pundits have estimated an extended weekend collection of ₹95 crore, and Sunday’s potential double digit collection is expected to surpass *Stree*’s ₹109.75 crore in the first week. Amid the Chhath Puja attraction, the success of *Thamma* could take it to a gross of over ₹150 crore, confirming Ayushmann’s move towards pan-India popularity post-pandemic. As one viewer tweeted, “Scary, heartwarming and funny – *thamma* the perfect festive scare!” This sleeper hit reaffirms Bollywood’s love for smart, scary escapism.