'We Needed A Young Actor...Aneet Suits The Part Perfectly': Amar Kaushik On Casting Saiyaara Star For Shakti Shalini

Aneet Padda is basking in the success of her film Saiyaara, and her next project as a lead in Shakti Shalini, the upcoming instalment in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, has already created quite a buzz. After rumours of her replacing Kiara Advani, who was initially rumoured to be the lead, Aneet's involvement in Shakti Shalini was confirmed with an announcement trailer released in theatres alongside Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna’s Thamma. Amid this, filmmaker Amar Kaushik opened up about what made Aneet the perfect fit for the character.

Director Amar Kaushik On Aneet's Casting In Shakti Shalini

Amar Kaushik revealed that watching Aneet in Saiyaara left him visualising the actress in the Shakti Shalini role. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, he said, "When we were writing the script, we realised that we needed a younger actor. Meanwhile, we saw her film Saiyaara and realised that she suits the part perfectly for that character. She heard the story and came on board."

While the lead actor has already been confirmed, the horror comedy’s director has yet to be finalised. When asked if Amar Kaushik would direct the project, he shared that the team is still in discussion and hasn’t decided yet.

Shakti Shalini Release Plan

Amar Kaushik also shared the plan of releasing Shakti Shalini. The filmmaker added, “We feel that there should not be an overdose and we should not give too many films in a short period. Hence, as of now, the plan is to only bring Shakti Shalini next year."

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With Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Thamma, directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, currently running in theatres from October 21, 2025, the post-credit sequence has generated excitement for Aneet's look from Shakti Shalini. Ahead of Thamma's premiere, a glimpse of her character was leaked online, which left fans expecting Shakti Shalini to be one of the Maddocks’ most powerful horror-comedy films yet.

Aneet Padda as Shakti Shalini in Thamma End-Credit scene. pic.twitter.com/UEyfE7Qo4O

— Shakti Shalini (@saiyaaratu) October 20, 2025

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The Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, known for hits like Stree, Roohi, Bhediya, Munjya and now the latest release Thamma, continues to deliver masterpieces.

Previously, several sources suggested that Kiara Advani was first being considered for the role of Shakti Shalini. However, Aneet bagged the lead role.