Big setback for Ayushmann-Rashmika starrer ‘Thamma’ ahead of release

Digital Desk

The upcoming film ‘Thamma’, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, is set to release on October 21 during Diwali. While the makers hope the festival timing will boost box office collections, public excitement for the film appears muted. Now, the Censor Board has issued major directives, objecting to several scenes and requiring modifications before release.

Censor Board objections and required changes

According to Bollywood Hungama, the Board flagged multiple objectionable elements, including:

A scene featuring realistic sound effects of drinking blood, which must now be significantly toned down.
References to ‘Alexander’ must be changed to ‘Sikandar’.
A dialogue in the second half, “Azaadi Doonga” (“I will give freedom”), must be altered to “Ayyashi Karta Hoon” (“I indulge in luxury/debauchery”).
A long kissing scene has been reduced by 30%, cutting approximately 5 seconds.

Potential impact on film

These last-minute changes could affect the film’s flow and visual coherence. Altering sound and dialogue may create awkward lip-sync issues, especially since filming had already wrapped.

The Board has also assigned ‘Thamma’ a U/A 16+ rating, restricting viewers under 16. The final runtime stands at 149.59 minutes (2 hours 29 minutes).

Box office concerns

Advance bookings have generated only ₹5 crore, relatively low for a Diwali release. The film will compete with ‘Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat’, which has recorded ₹1.5 crore in pre-sales and is trending higher on social media.

With a production budget of approximately ₹145 crore, ‘Thamma’ will need to earn over ₹10 crore just to begin recovering costs, raising concerns about its box office performance amid stiff competition and censor-mandated cuts.