Aneet Padda Begins Gwalior Schedule of Maddock’s Shakti Shalini; Rest of Cast Joins Shoot
Gwalior: Aneet Padda has started filming the Gwalior schedule of Shakti Shalini, the sixth entry in Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Horror Comedy Universe. The rest of the ensemble cast, including Vineet Kumar Singh and Vishal Jethwa, has joined the unit in the city.
Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, Shakti Shalini is rooted in Bengali folklore and mythology. The film tracks the eternal battle between good and evil, centered on a vengeful female ghost who punishes men after being betrayed and killed. Goddess Kali is invoked as the ultimate form of Shakti to destroy the evil spirit.
Reports suggest Padda plays a double role — Shakti, the protector, and Shalini, the evil force. The makers described her character during Thamma’s post-credit scene as “the creator, the destroyer, and the mother of all.”
Vineet Kumar Singh boards the film as the main antagonist. “This will be a departure from anything that Vineet has played before. He essays a darker antagonist here,” his team confirmed. The casting signals a larger industry shift, with actors increasingly taking on complex, negative roles. The film reunites Padda with Salaam Venky co-star Vishal Jethwa.
Aneet recently wrapped her B.A. (Hons.) Political Science final-year exams in December-January. A source said, “It is incredible that Aneet Padda is so young and she has become such a massive success story. The Gen Z face of India balanced her exams while prepping for Shakti Shalini. Her schedule is being managed so she can give time to studies while finishing work priorities.”
Padda began her career with a brief role in Salaam Venky in 2022 and led Prime Video’s Big Girls Don’t Cry. Her breakthrough came as a songwriter diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara, which emerged as the second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025 and the highest-grossing Indian romantic film.
Shakti Shalini is part of MHCU’s lineup after Stree, Bhediya, Munjya, Stree 2, and Thamma. Thamma, the banner’s latest release, starred Rashmika Mandanna, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
The Gwalior schedule will cover key dramatic portions, with the city’s forts and heritage sites forming the backdrop for the film’s horror-comedy narrative. The film is shot extensively across multiple locations and is slated for a theatrical release on December 24, 2026.
