Last Updated:November 10, 2025, 20:12 IST

Amar Kaushik also complimented Shraddha Kapoor and said that everyone starts smiling when she’s around.

Shraddha and Varun in Stree 2.

Are Shraddha Kapoor’s Stree and Varun Dhawan’s Bhediya set to fall in love in the future films of the MHCU? Fans have been speculating this twist ever since Varun appeared in the Khoobsurat song from Stree 2 and romanced the actress. Given their chemistry, fans of the actors wondered if their characters would eventually fall in love. Now, director Amar Kaushik has addressed this buzz.

In a recent interview with Filmygyan, director Amar Kaushik shared, “Abhi Varun kaisa dikhta hai, powerful. Abhi woh powerful waisa waala ho gaya hai, matlab alag level ka powerful ho gaya hai. Aur yeh usko dekhegi, nahi dekhegi, woh aage waali picture mein dekhenge.”

He added, “Jab woh normal cute sa tha, tab ho sakta hai usko pyaar kar sakti thi. Arre yeh toh bohot cute hai, aisa hai. But abhi jo hai, abhi I am not sure kya hoga.” For the unversed, Varun Dhawan’s Bhediya became stronger after he fought with Ayushmann Khurrana in Thamma earlier this year.

Talking about Shraddha, Amar further shared, “Jab Shraddha kahin set pe aati hain, ya stage pe jaati hai, toh sabke chehre pe ek smile aa aati hai. Woh ek alag aura lekar aati hai. Aur jab woh laal pehen ke aati hai, tab toh aap bhool hi jaao. Red is kind of a very powerful colour, you know, and this character is very powerful. So whenever she wears red, you can see that power is coming to you.”

Meanwhile, Amar Kaushik is now focused on Shakti Shalini. 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. Amar clarified that no casting decision was ever finalised, putting an end to the chatter about Kiara being replaced by Saiyaara breakout star Aneet Padda.

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.

Kashvi Raj Singh

Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-…Read More

Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-… Read More