Dinesh Vijan, producer of Thamma, defended the inclusion of three dance songs in the Ayushmann Khurrana–Rashmika Mandanna starrer, adding that they are all part of the narrative.
In Maddock Films’ ever-evolving horrorverse, dance numbers have become a signature element. From Nora Fatehi’s electrifying performance in ‘Kamariya’ (Stree) to Tamannaah Bhatia’s sultry moves in ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ (Stree 2), these songs have consistently struck a chord with audiences and become instant crowd-pullers.
This time, Aditya Sarpotdar’s upcoming vampire film Thamma, part of this horrorverse, features not one but three dance numbers—’Tum Mere Na Huye’, ‘Dilbar Ki Aankhon Ka’, and ‘Poison Baby’. This has sparked debate among cinephiles and critics. Some feel that the frequent song breaks might pull viewers out of the immersive horror experience.
In a recent chat with Galatta Plus, the film’s producer Dinesh Vijan addressed these concerns.
He explained, “Even Aaj Ki Raat ( in Stree 2) was a part of the narrative. Nora (Nora Fatehi) here is a character, she’s the girl from Stree. So it’s not like we’re just inserting a song randomly. I don’t think we’ll do it that way. And something’s going down. Sometimes I feel we overintellectualize films. The fact is, the West has been doing musicals forever. If vampires like to party, you’ve got to show a party, right?”
He continued, “When we spoke about Lokah, I saw Sinners and thought it was incredible. If you look closely, the music piece is at the heart of it. They’ve embraced it now. It was always there; it’s just come back. This is who we are. We like music.”
Reacting to the question where he was asked if the newness of such dance tracks dim a bit when makers release them online prior release, Vijan shared, “When you said we’ve seen it on YouTube, yes, if it’s woven in and doesn’t interrupt the narrative, I can’t tell you how much fun it is to watch it on the big screen. You’ve got to make it a great track. If it’s not popular, people won’t want to hear it.”
“Just to give you perspective—Apple Music is X subscription; Apple TV is less than that. People consume music more than they consume films. So if you get the audio right, people will keep listening to it again and again on YouTube. If the track isn’t good, I completely get your point, the visual impact is lost. But if the audio has that spark then I feel music can really elevate horror comedies,” he added.
Ayushmann Khurrana, who was also a part of the same conversation, echoed a similar sentiment.
The actor mentioned, “I was having the same discussion with Dino (Dinesh Vijan) today that all these so-called item songs are actually part of the narrative. The story is moving forward; there’s a reason that song is there. It’s incredible that we have three such songs, and they’re intrinsically woven into the narrative and screenplay. I think that’s beautiful.”
Starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, Thamma follows a vampire navigating love, longing, and identity. The film features Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the main antagonist.
