Thamma Director Aditya Sarpotdar Reveals Only Concern Before Film’s Release, Talks About Stree Universe Expansion – Exclusive

Director

Aditya Sarpotdar is thrilled with the response to Thamma, the latest addition to Maddock’s horror-comedy universe. The film, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, continues the supernatural saga after Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya. In a conversation with Zoom, the filmmaker spoke about box office expectations he had, the creative risks of blending mythology with romance and horror, and how the growing cinematic universe is evolving with every film.

Unfiltered Aditya Sarpotdar!

“It’s nice to know that people are watching the movie and that it’s doing well at the box office. When you see people still walking into theatres even on weekdays, it’s a good feeling. These films getting love reassures you that what you’re making might just be something audiences enjoy watching," said Aditya.Talking about box office goals, the filmmaker explained, “For me, it’s always very important that whatever money has been put into making the film should be recovered. The producers should not suffer a loss. With Munjya, our benchmark was to at least earn back the film’s budget. With Thamma, we’ve already crossed that mark at the Indian box office, so I feel safe.”When asked about the risks involved, Aditya shared, “The idea always was to make something different, something not done before in any cinema and ensure it’s entertaining. We make sure we’re enjoying the process of coming up with these ideas and executing them. If we aren’t enjoying it, we might be going wrong.”The director admitted Thamma was trickier than Munjya. “This one had to balance horror, comedy, romance, drama, and action, while also connecting with the larger narrative of the universe. You’ll see characters from different films now becoming part of one cohesive story. That’s what makes it exciting.”

Speaking about the ever-expanding Stree Universe, Aditya said, “When Stree and Bhediya were released, I was more of an audience. It was only after Bhediya that the idea of a shared universe was officially announced. I’ve always felt that India has huge potential for stories like these, and Munjya gave me a chance to be part of something much bigger.”He concluded, “Amar Kaushik and Niren Bhatt have built this vision, and I’ve been fortunate to take it forward. It’s exciting to see how people connect with these films and come up with their own theories. With upcoming titles like Shakti Shalini and Chamunda, the world we’ve created is only going to get bigger and more thrilling.”Did you like our chat with Aditya? Let us know by tweeting at @TimesNow!