Business

SCOOP: Single screens in a fix as Tere Ishk Mein’s 2-week condition risks shrinking Dhurandhar’s show count

Tere Ishk Mein will release in 2 days from now, and it is all set to spring a surprise at the box office, going by the advance booking trends. However, the ticket sales are yet to start in several single screens. Bollywood Hungama has learned that the distributors of the Dhanush-Kriti Sanon starrer have made a certain demand to the single-screen owners, which the latter have not yet agreed upon. A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “AA Films, owned by Anil Thadani, has asked the single-screens to sign an agreement stating that they’ll play all shows of Tere Ishk Mein this week. All theatres have agreed to this directive. But the distribution team has further instructed the theatres that they will have to commit 2 shows of Tere Ishk Mein next week. Only when these two conditions are met will they get to release Tere Ishk Mein.”The source continued, “Dhurandhar releases next Friday, December 5. Hence, if single screen hall owners agree to the demand put forth by AA Films, they’ll have to play the Ranveer Singh-starrer with just 2 shows in order to accommodate Tere Ishk Mein. The theatre owners have reservations with this arrangement as they want to give reasonable showcasing to Dhurandhar as well.”The source also said, “The single screens are hoping that this deadlock is resolved soon. They are keen to play Tere Ishk Mein, looking at the advance booking. None of the releases this month have scored in their theatres. The last one, which was successful, was Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, which released more than a month ago. Even this mass-friendly film didn’t release in the first week in many single screen properties. As a result, they are very eager to play the massy flick Tere Ishk Mein and also Dhurandhar.”As of 8: 00 am on November 26, booking of Tere Ishk Mein is yet to begin at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir, PVR Le Reve Bandra, Inox Nakshatra Dadar, MovieMax Andheri East, MovieTime Suburbia, Mukta A2 Orion Santacruz, Gold Cinema Dadar, MovieTime Dahisar, New Excelsior, Citylight Mahim, MovieTime Star City Matunga, Plaza Dadar and Chitra Dadar. The advance booking, meanwhile, has begun in Regal, Gold Cinema Thane, Gold Cinema Borivali, Anand Thane, Kasturba Malad and Roxy Charni Road. In the last two cinemas, 4 shows of Tere Ishk Mein will be played, while one show of the Gujarati blockbuster Laalo has been allotted at 7: 30 pm. This has given hopes that a solution will be achieved soon and the bookings of the film will commence across the country in full force. Also Read: Kriti Sanon says she and Dhanush created ‘magical moments’ in Tere Ishk Mein; says, “He really brings out a lot of layers in his character”.

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EXCLUSIVE: CBFC changes Rose-mary Marlow to Rose-mary Carlow in Mastiii 4; asks for THIS modification in the Aftab Shivdasani-old man sex joke

The sex comedy Mastiii 4 hit cinemas today and has already grabbed eyeballs thanks to its popular franchise and naughty trailer. Even before its release, there was apprehension that the Central Board of Film Certification would insist on multiple cuts. Bollywood Hungama had exclusively revealed two days ago that the board had asked for six dialogues to be altered. We can now share the detailed breakdown of some of these changes. A source told Bollywood Hungama, “One of the lines from the trailer that drew both laughs and criticism was the exchange between Aftab Shivdasani and an elderly patient. The old man tells Aftab, ‘Mujhe jawan ladki ke saath sex karna hai’. When a worried Aftab warns, ‘Lekin aisa karne se maut ho jaayegi’, the patient quips, ‘Marti hai toh mar jaaye saali’. In the theatrical version, this entire bit has been toned down. In the film, the patient now says, ‘Mujhe jawan ladki ke saath masti karni hai’. Aftab still cautions, ‘Lekin aisa karne se maut ho jaayegi’, to which the patient replies, ‘Main marne ke liye tayyar hoon’.”The source continued, “That is not all. The three women with whom the trio have an affair in Grand Masti (2013) are named Rose, Mary and Marlow. Read together, their names form a cheeky double meaning in Hindi. In Mastiii 4, a glamorous character is introduced as Rose-mary Marlow. Her name has now been changed to Rose-mary Carlow. It is surprising that the censors had no issue with the gag in the second film, released 12 years ago, but have objected to it this time.”Directed by Milap Zaveri, Mastiii 4 stars Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani, who have always featured in the previous parts of the franchise as well Masti (2004), Grand Masti and Great Grand Masti (2016). This time, they are joined by Ruhii Singh, Shreya Sharma, Elnaaz Norouzi, Natalia Janoszek, Shaad Randhawa and Nishant Singh Malkani, along with Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri. Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Milap Zaveri talks about Mastiii 4: “Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani are Amar, Akbar, Anthony of comedy!” BREAKS silence on CBFC cuts: “Film has got very few cuts; Kudos to Censor Board.”.

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SCOOP: Dhurandhar makers eye May 29, 2026 for the release of the second part

On Monday, November 17, Bollywood Hungama was the first one to break the viral news that Dhurandhar is a two-part saga. As expected, the news travelled far and wide. 2 days later and a day after the grand trailer launch, Bollywood Hungama brings to you one more update about this film. A source told us, “Dhurandhar’s first part will arrive in cinemas on December 5, as is common knowledge. The makers want to release the second part in the first half of 2026, particularly in the summers. Accordingly, they have set their eyes on the May 29 slot. It is empty and hasn’t been grabbed yet. This will give them an advantage of a solo release, just like the first part, which is arriving sans any competition.”The source continued, “However, the makers have not yet locked the May 29 date. They are looking at other vacant dates as well in May and also are considering if Dhurandhar Part 2 can arrive in cinemas in June. They plan to take a call on it soon.”Meanwhile, there was no mention of Dhurandhar being a two-part saga at the grand trailer launch, held yesterday, on November 18, at Mumbai’s iconic Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. An industry insider commented, “The makers probably plan to lock the date before the release of the first part. Dhurandhar Part 1 is expected to end with the announcement of the second installment along with its release date.”On Monday, Bollywood Hungama carried a quote by a source that said, “Dhurandhar’s first part will end at a decisive point and the story will then continue in the second part. Director Aditya Dhar has shot extensively and the film has shaped up really well. But since it’s very lengthy, he and the makers, Jio Studios and B62 Studios, have toyed with the idea of breaking it into 2 parts. If this is the plan, then Dhurandhar’s part 2 will arrive next year, preferably in the first half.”Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh in the lead and also features Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan and Sara Arjun. Also Read: “No one claimed it’s original”: Sujoy Ghosh REACTS to music criticism in Dhurandhar trailer.

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EXCLUSIVE: Kanu Behl BREAKS silence on Agra CBFC cuts: “Got NO pushback from Censors; they were really nice to us…they asked me to cut 3 nudity shows; I convinced them about 2 after which only 1 shot was deleted”

2 days ago, Bollywood Hungama reported that Agra, a rare Hindi film to have frontal nudity, had faced cuts from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The frontal nudity scene and the abuses were axed, after which the makers were given an ‘A’ certificate. Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Kanu Behl after Agra didn’t get sufficient shows in cinemas across the country. We then asked him to comment on the censor cuts as well. Kanu Behl said, “I can comment in the context of my film. Thankfully, I got no pushback from the Censors. In fact, they were really nice to us. They loved the film. Whatever changes have been made were done by me personally. All they asked me to do was to cut out 3 shots. They said, ‘We love the film. We don’t want to cut anything out of it. We think it’s a really important film. We are giving you an adults-only certificate. Today, even with an adult rating, you cannot have nudity and profanity’”. Kanu continued, “They asked me to cut 3 nudity shots. I was able to talk to them about two and explain the importance of it. Accordingly, I made small alterations. So, all that was deleted was 1 shot. The abuses were also removed, which I did not object as I did not want to fight that battle because it’s a much bigger structural question. Also, the Committee couldn’t do anything about it. They were really upfront about it and I appreciated that.”When asked about his next film, Kanu Behl replied, “Too early to talk about it. I am not going to give up. I want to keep fighting (for more shows for Agra). I first want to ensure that this film gets the space that it needs and deserves. I also want to start a conversation about independent cinema at large. This system is designed for a monopoly of sad, infantilized films pandering to people’s entertainment. Slowly, that is the only space that is being promoted and that space is cut out for anything else which is not in that zone.”Also Read: EXPLOSIVE: Kanu Behl on multiplexes denying shows to Agra: “We are NOT asking for 1000 screens; we are only asking for 100 good screens. has the rot set so deep that no one just cares anymore? Is it all about Rs. 1000 crores or Rs. 5000 crores?”.

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SCOOP: Ajay Devgn to have a cameo in Mastiii 4; actor returns to the franchise after 21 years

In July this year, Bollywood Hungama reported that Genelia Deshmukh has a cameo in Mastiii 4, as evident by the pictures and videos captured by fans and onlookers when a song of the film was filmed at Victoria Square, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Incidentally, Genelia was a part of the first film of the franchise, Masti (2004) as well. Now Bollywood Hungama has learned that one more actor from the first part will be seen in Mastiii 4 Ajay Devgn! A source told Bollywood Hungama, “Ajay appears in Mastiii 4 in a scene. It is a hilarious sequence which would be a treat for the fans of the actor and of this franchise. He is expected to appear towards the end of the film.”The source continued, “The makers realized that there’s a great opportunity to bring Ajay Devgn back into the franchise. Accordingly, they approached the actor. Ajay has a great bond with director Milap Zaveri and Indra Kumar. Last year, he was present as the chief guest at the launch of the duo’s film, Tera Yaar Hoon Main. Indra Kumar or Indu ji, as he’s fondly called, has even directed Ajay several times, including the upcoming comic caper Dhamaal 4. Hence, Ajay was more than happy to shoot for the cameo. The scene has turned out well and the makers are looking forward to seeing how the public reacts to it.”Mastiii 4 stars the Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani, who have always featured in the previous parts of the franchise as well Masti, Grand Masti (2013) and Great Grand Masti (2016). This time, they are joined by Ruhii Singh, Shreya Sharma, Elnaaz Norouzi, Natalia Janoszek, Shaad Randhawa and Nishant Singh Malkani, along with Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri. Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Ruhi Singh calls her Mastiii 4 co-star Aftab Shivdasani “Prince Charming”: “My girlfriends and family members find him cute”; reacts to trailer criticism: “One should not judge a book by its cover; women should go watch it as they, too, will have a great time”.

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EXCLUSIVE: Single Salma releases VPF-free at PVR Inox, Star Studio18 plays ‘Avatar’ card with Cinepolis; miraculous Gujarati hit Laalo gets VPF-waiver for THIS reason

On Thursday, October 30, Bollywood Hungama exclusively reported that after Jolly LLB 3, Star Studio18 once again got into a tiff with national multiplex chains on paying Virtual Print Fee (VPF), this time over their latest release, Single Salma, starring Huma Qureshi. Bollywood Hungama will now update readers on what happened after the article was published. A trade source told us, “The discussions went on till late Thursday night. Star Studio18 once again reminded the multiplexes about their agreement that they would pay VPF only until 2024. Though they paid VPF under protest at the last minute in the case of Jolly LLB 3, they made it clear that they would not do the same for Single Salma. Last time, PVR Inox hit back and even suspended the advance bookings of Jolly LLB 3. However, this time, they didn’t object as the Competition Commission of India (CCI) investigation is undergoing. Hence, Single Salman released in the properties of PVR Inox without VPF, a rare Hindi film to have this feat.”On September 30, 2025, CCI directed an investigation against PVR INOX Limited over allegations of abusing its dominant position by continuing to levy the VPF on film producers. The CCI has ordered its Director General to launch a detailed probe into PVR’s practices, and submit its report in 90 days. The trade source continued, “On the other hand, the third major national chain, Cinepolis, refused to release Single Salma without VPF. This is when Star Studio18, used their trump card Avatar: Fire And Ash. They reminded Cinepolis that if Single Salma is not released in their properties, then they would release the biggest Hollywood film of the year, scheduled for a release on December 19, in Cinepolis only if the multiplex chain agrees to pay them 65% of the revenue. This is more than the standard revenue shared with the producers in the first week, which is around 52. 5%. Yet, Cinepolis didn’t budge, possibly hoping that by the time Avatar: Fire And Ash is around release, a solution to it could be found. This is how Single Salma got a release in PVR Inox but not in Cinepolis.”How Laalo got VPF-free releaseEven regional films have to pay VPF and recently, one more film also got a chance to be screened VPF-free the Gujarati film, Laalo Krishna Sada Sahaayate. It was released in the dull pre-Diwali period, on October 10. The awareness was negligible and moreover, it starred new faces. As a result, it barely got any audience initially. However, almost 2 weeks later, in a miraculous and inexplicable turn of events, the word of mouth spread and gradually, it began to attract moviegoers in hordes. Videos on social media show viewers dancing and celebrating in cinemas during the shows of Laalo. The weekend gone by has been the best for the film and it was probably the highest performing film in Gujarat. Rajhans Cinema at Precia, Surat will play a record 20 shows a day from Monday, November 3. Many other cinemas in Gujarat are playing more than 10 shows in their properties, which shows the insane demand for the film. Even Mumbai performed well. Laalo, which is made at a meagre budget of just Rs. 50 lakhs, is now all set to earn Rs. 5 crores or even more.#Laalo Gujarati film winning hearts across Guj. Released on 10th Oct & removed frm Cinemas within a week. Laalo is now back with a bang housefull shows everywhere & more shows being added. 2 Guj Movies #ChaniyaToli & #Laalo are ruling the BO across Guj. See the Audience. pic. twitter. com/bT9ASYNiVw- Gaurav Mishra???????? (@Gaurav_5599) November 2, 2025 A Gujarati industry insider revealed, “Initially, the distributor, Rupam Entertainment, asked multiplexes to showcase Laalo. But since the film had no buzz, several theatres rejected it. When the demand for the film suddenly rose, all the theatre chains ran towards the distributor and asked him for the film’s print. The distributor realized that he had an upper hand since the cinemas in Gujarat were extremely desperate to play Laalo. After all, the film was guaranteeing them sold-out shows.”The insider continued, “As a result, the distributor agreed to give them the film on two conditions since it would be the first week of the film in their theatre, he should be paid the first week terms. In short, the distributor would get a higher percentage. His second condition was that the producer would not pay VPF. The multiplexes were fine with the first condition. But they had reservations on the VPF. But the distributor was firm on the demand as the film was made on a modest budget and VPF would add to the burden on the producer. The multiplexes knew that if they didn’t screen the film, it would be their loss. Hence, they agreed to both demands.”To concludeBoth these instances can go a long way in making the case of the producers strong, who have been long demanding that the practice of VPF should end. The industry and trade now await the next development on this front. Also Read: Huma Qureshi calls out lack of shows for her film Single Salma.

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SCOOP: Amazon Prime Video bags Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 for a staggering Rs. 110 cr; beats Netflix’s Rs. 100 cr offer

After making a mark in cinemas, Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 will find its way on OTT, on October 31. Prominent streaming giant Amazon Prime Video will stream the film’s original Kannada version, as well as dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, for now. The Hindi version of the period drama will be released digitally a month later. Bollywood Hungama has learned of an interesting development that took place with regard to the digital deal. A source told Bollywood Hungama, “The makers of Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 asked for Rs. 125 crores for the OTT rights, considering the buzz around the film. They approached Netflix and it agreed to offer Rs. 100 crores. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Video gave a better deal and offered Rs. 110 crores for the streaming rights. This is how the film has made its way on Prime Video.”This marks the second-highest OTT deal ever for a Kannada film. KGF Chapter 2 (2022) still holds the top spot, with its digital rights fetching over Rs. 300 crores. Interestingly, both KGF and Kantara franchises are backed by Hombale Films, a banner that deserves credit for placing Kannada cinema on the global map through these monumental successes. Kantara starred Rishab Shetty, Sapthami Gowda, Kishore and Achyuth Kumar in leading roles. It tells the story of a carefree young lad in a forest in Karnataka who rises as a hero when a greedy landlord, believed to be friendly with the villagers, tries to usurp the land treacherously. The villagers are devotees of Panjurli, a demigod protecting the forest’s villagers and this aspect plays an important part in the story. As for Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1, it stars Rishab Shetty along with Rukmini Vasanth, Gulshan Devaiah and Jayaram. This film attempts to delve deeper into the origins of the mythological tradition and ancestral conflict introduced in the first film. Both films are directed by Rishab Shetty. Interestingly, Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 ends with the promise of a sequel named Kantara: A Legend Chapter 2. Also Read: Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 Hindi version to release digitally after completing eight weeks in theatres.

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BREAKING: 1.51-minute-long Cocktail 2 song promo attached with Thamma

The Diwali biggie Thamma is all set to release tomorrow and the excitement is growing for it as the release date nears. Bollywood Hungama informed readers yesterday, that is, Sunday, October 20, that the teaser of Ikkis and the announcement promo of Shakti Shalini will be shown with the horror comedy. Bollywood Hungama has learned that there’s one more exciting asset attached to Thamma Cocktail 2. A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “A song promo of Cocktail 2, titled ‘Jab Talak’, was passed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on October 16. Its run time is 111 seconds, that is, 1 minute and 51 seconds, and it has been passed with a U/A 16+ rating.”The trade source further said, “The theatres have been informed of the promos to be shown with Thamma and one of them is that of Cocktail 2; the other two being Ikkis and Shakti Shalini. Cocktail 2’s release is many months away, but it’s a big, vibrant film, as evident from the on-set pictures from Sicily, Italy. Also, with audiences expected to arrive in hordes for Thamma in cinemas, it can be a great time to present its first look.”Cocktail 2, like Thamma, is backed by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films. While the first part starred Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone and launched Diana Penty, the second part features Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna. Both parts have been directed by Homi Adajania. Interestingly, Rashmika also stars in Thamma. The other lead actors in the film are Ayushmann Khurrana, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Paresh Rawal. Thamma is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, who directed the other significant film of the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe Munjya (2024). Shakti Shalini also belongs to the same universe and hence, it is apt to have its promo with Thamma. Also Read: Shakti Shalini announcement video to debut with Thamma: First glimpse reveals Aneet Padda’s starring role.

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EXCLUSIVE: CBFC reduces kissing scene in Thamma by 5 seconds; replaces ‘Azaadi doonga’ with ‘Aiyaashi karata hoon’

Three days are left for the release of the grand Diwali biggie, Thamma, and the excitement is gradually building up. The makers, Maddock Films, completed the censor process on time and in this article, Bollywood Hungama will exclusively focus on the cuts suffered by the horror comedy. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) asked for audio cuts in three places and one visual modification as well. The word ‘Alexander’ was replaced with ‘Sikandar’. In another dialogue, the word ‘Ashwathama’ was muted. In the second half of the film, the words ‘Azaadi doonga’ were replaced with ‘Aiyaashi karata hoon’. The Examining Committee also asked the makers to ‘reduce the slurping sound of drinking blood to minimum’. Finally, a kissing scene in the second half was reduced by 30%, that is, by 5 seconds. The last modification may dampen the excitement of the moviegoers but on the positive side, this is the shortest intimacy cut asked by the CBFC in recent times. In Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, liplock visuals were reduced by 60%. In Saiyaara, the makers were instructed to delete and replace 10 seconds of ‘sensual, intimacy, body exposure visuals’. Lastly, in Superman, the CBFC axed 33 seconds of ‘sensual visual’ from Superman. It led to massive criticism as the studio had to make abrupt cuts to accommodate CBFC’s directive. Coming back to Thamma, once the changes were made, the censor certificate was handed over to the makers on October 15. The film was passed with a U/A 16+ rating. The length of the movie, as mentioned on the censor certificate, is 149. 59 minutes. In other words, Thamma is 2 hours 29 minutes and 59 seconds long. Thamma releases on Tuesday, October 21 and stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Paresh Rawal. It is backed by blockbuster producer Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films and directed by Aditya Sarpotdar of Munjya (2024) fame. It is a part of the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe and hence, belongs to the same world as Stree, Bhediya and Munjya. Also Read: Thamma Creates Diwali Frenzy: Thamma advance tickets selling fast after historic fan screening in Delhi.

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EXCLUSIVE: Thamma vs Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat screen-sharing battle begins; makers of Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer demand ALL shows in single and two-screen cinemas

The much-anticipated Diwali releases, Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, are just days away, and the excitement across the trade, industry, and audiences is palpable. As with every major festive clash, the battle for screens has intensified. Bollywood Hungama has learned that the first round of this tussle between the distributors of both films has already begun. A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “Thamma, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna, is being distributed by PVR Inox Pictures. Its distributor-partner in the Mumbai circuit, August Entertainment, has sent a mail to cinemas in the territory informing them about their screen-sharing requirements. They have asked for all shows in single-screen cinemas and two screen theatres. They have also asked for 12 shows in three-screen multiplexes; it means 100% showcasing in two of the three screens and a show or two in the third screen as well.”The mail from August Entertainment further states that they want 15 shows of Thamma in four-screen theatres, 18 shows in five-screen cinemas, 21 shows in six-screen multiplexes, 24 shows in seven-screen multiplexes, 27 shows in eight-screen multiplexes, 30 shows in nine-screen plexes and 33 shows in 10-screen theatres. It’s important to note that this move has come directly from August Entertainment, which is handling the release of Thamma in the Mumbai circuit. How distributors in other regions respond, and whether they follow suit with similar demands, remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the exhibitors have expressed reservations. An exhibitor told us, “We would definitely want to show Thamma as it looks exciting. But single-screen cinemas should also be given a chance to play Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat. In fact, it’s the single-screen theatres where the Harshvardhan Rane-film can score big time. And let’s not forget that the Marathi film Premachi Goshta 2 and the Gujarati film Chaniya Toli are also up for release this Diwali. Some cinemas would want to accommodate it as well. Hence, we hope a solution can be found.”Another exhibitor remarked, “The mail from August Entertainment mentions that the rule exists only for non-PVR, non-Inox and non-Cinepolis cinemas. We feel it’s not fair and it should be uniform for all cinemas.”Meanwhile, a trade expert commented, “Just a few weeks ago, we saw what happened during the Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 vs Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari clash. At that time, the makers of the former asked for 100% shows in single-screen, two-screen and three-screen cinemas. Even in theatres with four screens and more, they asked for nearly 80-90% of showcasing. At least, the distributors are reasonable in the case of Thamma.”Also Read: Ayushmann Khurrana flashes fake vampire teeth as he and Rashmika Mandanna promote Thamma in Delhi.