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After weeks of buzz around Kiara Advani’s rumoured exit from Shakti Shalini, the next film in Maddock’s horror-comedy universe, director Amar Kaushik has finally addressed the speculation. The filmmaker, known for Stree and Bhediya, clarified that no casting decision was ever finalised, putting an end to the chatter about Kiara being replaced by Saiyaara breakout star Aneet Padda. For over a month, Shakti Shalini had dominated entertainment headlines. First came rumours that Kiara Advani was leading the project. Soon after, new reports claimed that Aneet Padda had taken her place — speculation that grew stronger after the Thamma end-credits confirmed her as the film’s lead. Now, Amar Kaushik has cleared the air. In a new chat with Filmygyan, he explained, “Kiara is a beautiful actor. Nothing was confirmed, so I don’t know how it came out. I have always wanted to work with Kiara. When you write a story, you have an idea, and as you develop it further, you realise who is fit for which character. When Saiyaara came out, we were still in the process of writing (Shakti Shalini).” When asked whether Kiara was ever finalised before Saiyaara’s success made Aneet a contender, Amar firmly denied it. “Nobody was locked. There was nothing like it. We were just thinking who would fit. Sometimes, even we don’t know the full story, but someone leaks something,” he said. The filmmaker’s clarification now officially ends the speculation that Shakti Shalini had undergone major casting changes after Saiyaara’s success. The film was first teased on 20th October in the end credits of Maddock’s Thamma, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna. The announcement revealed Aneet as the title character, confirming the newest addition to the expanding Maddock Horror Comedy Universe (MHCU). Meanwhile, Thamma’s strong box-office run has boosted the franchise even more. With over Rs 1,500 crore earned by Stree, Bhediya, Munjya, Thamma, and now Shakti Shalini, the MHCU is India’s biggest horror-comedy universe.
