Rising Star Aneet Padda Steps into the Spotlight, Replacing Kiara Advani in Maddock’s ‘Shakti Shalini

In a major casting update, Aneet Padda has been confirmed as the new face in Maddock Films’ horror-comedy Shakti Shalini, which was earlier associated with Kiara Advani. The reveal came via a teaser that was unveiled in theaters during the rolling credits of Thamma, a romantic comedy horror film featuring Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui on 20th October, 2025. This has definitely created a buzz amongst the audience, particularly after Aneet’s remarkable debut appearance in Saiyaara.

Casting Change

In the teaser, Aneet Padda was revealed as the main character with the description “The protector. The destroyer. The mother of all.” The date of the film’s debut is December 24, 2026. Though Maddock Films hasn’t made a formal announcement, thus ending the earlier rumors, the teaser does confirm the switch in actors. The fans have taken to social media to show their excitement and have spoken highly of Aneet’s acting in Saiyaara and are looking forward to a new look.

Fan Reactions

The change in casting has created a lot of talk and discussions around it on various social media platforms. A particular fan commented, “Aneet’s acting skills will be tested through this film; she needs to apply her skills in hard work.” Another one wrote, “In case she actually manages it, we could possibly see a real Gen Z actress going totally mainstream, excited about this one!”Nevertheless, there are also some fans who are expressing their dissatisfaction that Kiara Advani would have been a better choice for the role.

Production Details

Shakti Shalini will end the shoot by the end of 2025. The horror-comedy will be part of Maddock Films’ ever-expanding universe of horror-comedies that has worked on films like Stree and Bhediya in the past. The film stars Aneet Padda and promises to offer a new and fresh perspective of the genre.

The film industry watches intently as Aneet Padda grabs all the attention with Shakti Shalini. With a fresh new face in the lead, the film also has veteran actor Randeep Hooda and hopes to bring a different dimension to the horror-comedy genre. Aneet’s acting will play the decisive role in making or breaking this much-hyped project and thus, both the critics and the fans are eagerly waiting to find out what Aneet has to offer.