'Lokah Chapter 1' vs 'Thamma': Aditya Sarpotdar rejects comparisons, calls it 'stupid'

While 'Thamma', starring Ayushmann Khurrana and produced by Dinesh Vijan, is doing a decent box office business the audience’s reactions have been mixed.

Adding to the mixed reviews, 'Thamma' released barely two months after the Malayalam hit Lokah Chapter 1, and audiences started comparing the themes of the movie, calling it a rip-off from the Malayalam film.

Aditya Sarpotdar praises 'Lokah', rejects comparisons

Director Aditya Sarpotdar, who previously helmed Munjya, recently opened up in an interview with SCREEN about the ongoing comparisons between Thamma and Lokah Chapter 1.

“When I watched Lokah, I loved it. I’m a big fan of Dulquer Salmaan. I even reached out to him and told him how much I appreciated the film,” said Sarpotdar. He further revealed that he recommended the Malayalam film to Ayushmann Khurrana and Stree director Amar Kaushik, calling it “crazy” and “out of this world.” Despite his admiration, Sarpotdar maintained that Thamma and Lokah are fundamentally different films.

'Our worlds are poles apart'

Addressing the comparisons directly, Sarpotdar said, “Just because there’s a vampire in both films, people are putting them in the same space. It’s stupid to do that. The worlds we’re creating are completely different.” He emphasized that Thamma exists in a distinct cinematic universe with unique characters and tone. “Lokah has its own path and audience, and we have ours,” he added. The filmmaker also criticized the tendency of audiences to pit Hindi films against regional successes, saying, “People love pulling down Hindi movies.”

Meanwhile, 'Lokah Chapter 1' is now streaming on OTT from October 31. The movie stars Kalyani Priyadarshan and Naslen in the lead. Actor Dulquer Salmaan and Tovino Thomas also played pivotal roles in the fantasy film.