If the Maddock horror comedy universe were a tapestry, Thamma adds a thread that's darker, older and deeply weird. At least, that's what it seems like from the looks of it.

With its release set for Diwali, October 21 in the UAE, this film, unlike others in the universe, isn't just another supernatural romp.

City Times caught up with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who plays a pivotal role, to talk about his character, the strangeness of it all, and why stepping into this world excited him more than it scared him.

Thamma is the fifth instalment in the Maddock horror comedy universe, following Stree, Bhediya, Munjya, and Stree 2. But unlike those earlier chapters, Thamma shifts the tone. It's not just horror + comedy anymore. It's romance entwined with the supernatural - think vampires, mythic beings, lore and strange worlds. Let's call it romance draped in myth, fangs, bloodlines, along with a generous dash of the absurd.

Nawazuddin's character Yakshasan is one of the keystones of this shift. He's the primary antagonist and wants to stand above everyone else in the world. But in an interview, producer Dinesh Vijan had noted that Nawazuddin (being himself), somehow made Yakshasan feel human.

Nawazuddin himself feels Yaskshasan is a different kind of character, out of his "comfort zone" where he inhabits something odd and otherworldly. It is an avatar that fans have not seen him portray before.

And playing someone ancient, supernatural, and grotesque, as seen in trailers, requires letting go of many usual anchors. Nawazuddin agrees, admitting that the first few days were challenging. That, the weirdness felt, well, weird.

“While doing it, it felt a little awkward at first, but gradually, after a couple of days, things started to settle down," he said. "It's an unusual character and took a lot of courage to execute that weirdness on screen." However, the team's and the director's support (which he pointed out repeatedly throughout the interview) helped him sail through.

While Nawazuddin has won acclaim for his quirky and edgy characters from cult classics like Gangs of Wasseypur, Raman Raghav 2.0 and the Netflix series, Sacred Games, stepping into the supernatural is a first for him.“If you keep doing it one way, you'll get bored of yourself," he said, bluntly. "When I started this character, I felt very weird; I was unsure if I would be able to do justice to it.”

Here,“weird” isn't a complaint. Instead, he's happy to embrace that weirdness, believing that“fear is a very good thing.” The uncertainty opens up new details in performance, especially when one has to dig deep to find the character from an“unknown area, a dark area,” as he puts it.

Even if Thamma looks like a supernatural epic, Nawazuddin says comedy still carries a lot of weight in the film though he insists the gags arise from the situation and character making it more engaging - something which an audience addicted to reels and TikTok needs constantly.

“You have to somehow keep them (audiences) entertained for 2-2.5 hours," he said, "make them laugh, cry, so they can enjoy and feel the thrill."

On a lighter note, we asked him about his own brush with supernatural or fearful experiences. Nawazuddin harks back to a time when he visited his village. His friends and relatives warned him to keep walking straight and not turn back. "It was nearly nine in the night and I heeded their advice. But curiosity got better of me and I looked back. Frankly, there was nothing but just their words and the stories they had fed me, filled my mind with dread. So, fear of the unknown, in many ways, is due to the stories we hear and pictures we imagine."

Back to Thamma; the makers promise a film that has equal doses comedy, scares and drama. Plus, Nawazuddin in a role he hasn't explored before, for which, as the actor admits, he had to look deeply inwards to draw the emotions on screen. "When a character emerges from this process, what comes out for the audience is unique. And there's no greater happiness than that for an actor."

Thamma also stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna.

MENAFN15102025000049011007ID1110202574