Digital News Guru Entertainment Desk:
Thamma Box-Office Update: Strong Opening
The much-anticipated Diwali release Thamma, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, has had a mixed ride at the box office: an impressive start quickly followed by a noticeable drop in traction.
A Promising Start
Thamma hit theatres on October 21, 2025, and benefitted from the Diwali holiday slot and strong pre-release buzz. On its first day, the film collected around 24 – 25 crore (net India), marking the highest opening of Ayushmann Khurrana’s career. Reports indicate that the advance booking and morning occupancy were healthy: “morning occupancy of ~15.76%”, which is among the top for Hindi films this year.
On its second day (Wednesday, a working day), the numbers dipped somewhat but held decently—around 18–19 crore (net), bringing the two-day total to approximately 42 crore.
By day three, the film crossed the 50 crore net milestone (three-day total estimated at ~52-55 crore). Estimated day-3 performance was around 12–12.5 crore net.
Early Signs of Drop-Off
Despite the strong opening, signs of softening began to emerge. According to trade reports, the collection dropped by 14-25% in the two days following release, a trend that reflects weaker holds than ideally expected for a major festival release.
On day four (Friday), the momentum further weakened: some coverage indicates the film failed to cross the 60 crore mark in its four-day cumulative tally.
Why the Mixed Outcome?
Several factors seem to be at play in shaping Thamma‘s box-office trajectory:
- Genre & positioning: The film is part of the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe (MHCU) and carries elements of horror-comedy blended with romance, which may have appealed initially but faces the challenge of sustaining audience interest beyond the holiday rush.
- Holiday release advantage: The Diwali slot provided a strong head-start. However, festival films often depend on strong word-of-mouth and holds across non-holiday weekdays, which appear to be thinner in this case.
- Competition & screen share: While Thamma had a wide release (in many more screens than some of its competitor releases), the heavier screen count also raises the necessity for stronger occupancy and longer legs.
- Initial reviews and word-of-mouth: While the opening shows suggest an enthusiastic audience, some reports note “mixed reviews” which may impact the drop in day-to-day performance.
- Regional/holiday circuit effects: With Diwali momentum strong in certain regions, once the holiday passes, weekday performance matters. Sites like Gujarat, Maharashtra—important markets—are key for strong continuation and were reportedly not as strong as ideal for this film.
What This Means for the Film & Stakeholders
- For Ayushmann Khurrana: The film gives him a career-high opening, reinforcing his bankability as a festive release lead.
- For the franchise & studio (Maddock Films): It shows that the horror-comedy/romantic-supernatural space still has pull, but sustaining it is challenging. The gap between opening and hold across days will be an industry talking point.
- For the box-office ecosystem: Thamma’s pattern is a reminder that strong openings do not guarantee long-tail success. For a big budget or wide release film, hold-strength and positive momentum across non-holiday days remain critical.
- For the wider festival-release strategy: With big releases clustered around Diwali, competition is heavy. Films will need sharper content or stronger word-of-mouth to endure beyond opening weekend boosts.
Looking Ahead
Key things to watch for Thamma in the coming week:
- Saturday & Sunday jump: The traditional big second-weekend jump will be important. If the film can pick up on Saturday and Sunday, it may boost its trajectory.
- Regional footfall and circuits: How it performs in crucial circuits like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi/UP will matter more for lifetime numbers.
- Hold on weekdays: The drop from Day 1 to Day 3 and beyond needs to moderate for the film to be commercially safe.
- Total budget vs break-even: While exact figures vary, the reported budget and screen count put the film in an investment-heavy bracket, so lifetime collections will need to be significant to yield profit.
- Overseas & ancillary performance: While focus is on domestic net numbers, overseas collections and revenue from digital/streaming will contribute to overall outcome.
Conclusion
Thamma launched with a bang—a strong opening day, impressive initial numbers and the combination of a marquee star with a popular genre twist. But the drop in momentum signals that the film faces an uphill battle in converting the initial burst into sustained commercial success. The story now moves into how well the film holds over the weekend and into weekdays beyond the holiday. For stakeholders, the film will likely be judged not just by the opening numbers but by how resilient its performance is in the days ahead.
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