Ayushmann & Rashmika shoot final leg of vampire comedy Thama in Ooty

Dark nights, vampires, and folk tales have been a part of Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna’s world for the past three months as they shot Thama. Now, the finish line is well within their sight. We’ve heard that director Aditya Sarpotdar began the vampire comedy’s last leg in Ooty on April 28. On the cards is a month-long schedule in the hill station and other parts of the Nilgiri forest in Tamil Nadu before Sarpotdar calls it a wrap on May 25. 

The ongoing schedule could be the most important part as the unit will film the climax. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who apparently plays a vampire in the movie, is expected to join the shoot in the coming weeks. A source reveals, “Starting April 28, Ayushmann and Rashmika filmed their portions in the forests of Ooty. They are currently filming in and around Doddabetta Peak. In this leg, the director will shoot some portions of the love story between the leads. After Nawazuddin joins the unit in the third week of May, they will shoot the backstory of how he became a vampire, and the climax.” After this schedule is wrapped up by May 25, only two songs will remain to be shot before the movie hits the theatres this Diwali.

Thama is set in two timelines. The narrative moves between the present, in which Khurrana’s character is shown as a historian studying how vampires came to exist in Indian folklore, and the past that takes viewers to the ancient city of Vijayanagar. The source adds, “An unrequited love story, rooted in the past, connects the two timelines. The title has been inspired by Ashwatthama, who was said to be immortal. The movie blends folklore, legends, and mythology.” While Thama had a brief first schedule in December 2024, the director resumed full-fledged work in February, with the cast shooting in Delhi and Mumbai throughout March and April. 

This article first appeared on Mid Day