Aneet Padda edging out Kiara Advani in Shakti Shalini? Makers refute claims

Saiyaara fame Aneet Padda is in the news for her next project. Rumours says she would be in Dinesh Vijan's upcoming, from the Maddock Horror-Comedy Universe, Shakti Shalini replacing Kiara Advani

Actress Aneet Padda, who rose to fame with Saiyaara opposite Ahaan Panday, seems to be on a steady career upswing. Following the film’s success, she has reportedly bagged Maddock Films’ upcoming horror comedy Shakti Shalini. The project was earlier linked to Kiara Advani after she was spotted at the Maddock Films office in Mumbai, though no official confirmation was ever made.

 

To dismiss the rumours, Maddock Films took to Instagram on Friday saying: “While we truly value the excitement around our horror-comedy universe, we want to make it absolutely clear that any reports regarding the casting of the upcoming chapters, including Shakti Shalini and Maha Munjya, are purely speculative. We urge the media to avoid misinformation and to wait for official announcements from us.” The caption further says, “Thank you for the constant support and understanding.”

 

 

Despite the clarification from the production house, fans continued to root for Aneet. One user wrote, “Aneet would have been a great choice BTW.” Another commented, “Pls cast Aneet then if you haven’t already.” A third added, “Aneet is the best choice as she is a versatile actress.” Meanwhile, some fans expressed a desire to see Advani in the role instead. 

 

A source stated to Pinkvilla, “Aneet Padda has been in discussions for Shakti Shalini for the last two months, as Dinesh Vijan was looking to infuse his universe with new energies. He loved Aneet’s work in Saiyaara and decided to mount the next chapter of the horror-comedy universe on her.” 

About Maddock Horror-Comedy Universe

The first film in the Maddock Horror-Comedy Universe (MHCU) was Stree (2018), which starred Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor and was directed by Amar Kaushik. It was a huge economic and critical success, and the franchise was further expanded with Bhediya (2022), which starred Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon.

 

Stree 2 broke box office records in 2024, grossing ₹857.15 crore globally and establishing the franchise as a trailblazer in Indian film. This Diwali, the following installment, Thama, is scheduled to be released. Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Paresh Rawal play important roles in the Aditya Sarpotdar-directed movie, which was written by Niren Bhatt, Suresh Mathew, and Arun Falara.

Aneet’s upcoming projects 

Bollywood Hungama reports that Aneet, who rose to fame with filmmaker Mohit Suri's "Saiyaara," will next be featured in the next courtroom drama "Nyaya," which is directed by Nitya Mehra. 

 

"Thama," the next horror-comedy from Maddock Films, will star Rashmika Mandanna and Ayushmann Khurrana in the key parts. The vampires from the medieval Vijaynagar Empire and their connections to the present are introduced in the Aditya Sarpotdar-directed film. The adversary in the movie is portrayed by actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The release date of "Thama" is set for Diwali 2025.