Alia Bhatt continues to dominate Bollywood with an impressive lineup of upcoming projects. After Jigra, the actress is gearing up for YRF’s spy thriller Alpha and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love And War. Now, reports suggest that Alia might soon collaborate with producer Dinesh Vijan for Chamunda, a new addition to Maddock Films’ expanding Horror Comedy Universe (MHCU).
Director Amar Kaushik, who has helmed several MHCU films, recently addressed the speculation in an interview with Filmfare. He said, “When it happens, everyone will know. I’m not denying or accepting anything right now. We focus on the story first and think about casting later. Thankfully, we don’t write scripts based on actors.” He added that the team strives to maintain honesty in filmmaking: “We make films for the audience. If we make a mistake, tell us on Instagram or anywhere else. We just want to keep it pure, like our first film, Stree.”
According to a Pinkvilla report, Alia is enthusiastic about partnering with Maddock for the project. A source revealed, “Alia has been in talks with Dinesh Vijan for a while. She’s loved a psychological supernatural thriller, which could be her next after Love And War. Talks are on, and things may be finalized by early 2025.”
Earlier reports also suggested that Shah Rukh Khan was approached for Chamunda alongside Alia. However, Bollywood Hungama reported that the actor declined, as he preferred to start a new cinematic universe with Maddock and Kaushik instead of joining an existing one.
Meanwhile, the latest MHCU film Thamma, featuring Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, recently hit theatres. The film introduced Aneet Padda as Shakti Shalini, replacing Kiara Advani in the role.