Entertainment

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Ayushmann Khurrana’s upcoming film Thama is mounting its last production push and promises a high-octane musical treat: Malaika Arora and Nora Fatehi will each appear in special dance numbers, lending star-powered glamour to the project. Malaika filmed a high-energy song a few months ago that is said to arrive at a crucial narrative moment, while Nora recently shot a promotional track that will feature toward the film’s end. 

The film, directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Dinesh Vijan, is billed as part of the Stree universe, which has fused horror and comedy into a profitable franchise. Thama is now in its final stages of filming and is expected to enter post-production shortly, setting the stage for a marketing push that will highlight these two headline dance sequences. Representatives for the production had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting. 

Casting Malaika and Nora for discrete, high-impact numbers follows a familiar Bollywood pattern: bringing in celebrated performers to inject energy, choreography and mass appeal into pivotal moments. Both artists have previously teamed up with Ayushmann — Malaika lit up the screen in a retro-styled sequence in The Action Hero, while Nora elevated numbers such as Jehda Nasha — making their reunion with him on Thama a natural fit for audiences already familiar with their on-screen chemistry. The producers appear to be positioning the songs both as narrative highlights and as promotional hooks to broaden the film’s reach. 

Industry insiders suggest Malaika’s number was designed to lift an emotional or turning point in the story with kinetic staging and choreography, whereas Nora’s promotional track will serve as a glossy, shareable piece of content to drive pre-release buzz. Given the film’s placement inside the Stree universe, the balancing act between genre tone and mainstream song spectacle will be crucial: the songs must amplify the film’s mood without undercutting its genre identity. 

With the movie nearing completion, audiences can expect an official rollout of music and teasers in the coming weeks. If the makers leverage Malaika’s established retro-glam persona alongside Nora’s chart-friendly dance appeal, Thama could use these special numbers not just as embellishments but as central promotional assets that help define its place within the larger franchise.