On 2nd January, Maddock Films announced an ambitious expansion of its blockbuster Horror Comedy Universe, unveiling eight interconnected upcoming movies that will release over the next four years. The lineup begins with two movies this year: Thama releases during Diwali weekend, whereas Shakti Shalini hits cinemas on December 31. 

While Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Paresh Rawal star in Thama, Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that Shakti Shalini will be headlined by Kiara Advani. The Kabir Singh actress will play the titular character in this supernatural comedy, set to go on floors around April-May 2025. The film draws inspiration from Indian folklore, much like other movies in the franchise, but will adopt a fresh narrative approach, setting it apart from its predecessors within the Horror-Comedy Universe.

How Shakti Shalini is going to be different from others can also be gauged from the fact that Dinesh Vijan has brought on board acclaimed filmmaker Ajitpal Singh to direct it. The Punjab-born director is an intriguing choice for a horror comedy considering his expertise in crafting intense and emotionally driven narratives. He is popularly known for directing critically acclaimed projects like Fire in the Mountains, which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, and Tabbar, a SonyLIV series about a retired police constable who pushes the boundaries to save his family from the consequences of an unfortunate incident. Singh has also directed the award-winning short film Rammat-Gammat, which won an award at the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival in 2018. 

Kiara Advani is the latest entrant in the Maddock Horror-comedy Universe, joining a growing list of leading ladies that includes Shraddha Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Sharvari, Rashmika Mandanna, and Alia Bhatt. Shakti Shalini marks the fifth standalone movie in the universe, following Stree, Bhediya, Munjya, and Thama. The saga will continue with "Bhediya 2," "Chamunda," "Stree 3," and "Maha Munjya," all leading up to a climactic two-part event, "Pehla Mahayudh" and "Doosara Mahayudh," in 2028.

Kiara is currently awaiting the release of Ram Charan’s pan-India film, Game Changer, set to hit theatres this Friday, January 10. She will follow that up with this year's biggest Hindi film, War 2, on August 14 and wrap up the year with Shakti Shalini on December 31. She is also doing KGF star Yash’s next action drama, Toxic, and Ranveer Singh’s Don 3, both slated for release in 2026. Kiara is also discussing a biopic project of a yesteryear Bollywood actress, but she is yet to sign on that project.