A Warm Welcome: Aneet Padda Enters Maddock’s MHCU as Thamma Thrives

The Maddock Horror Comedy Universe (MHCU) keeps growing its signature mix of chills and humour. After successes like Stree, Bhediya, Munjya and Thamma, Maddock Films has announced its next instalment — Shakti Shalini — with Saiyaara actor Aneet Padda in the lead.

Ayushmann Khurrana, who fronted Thamma, took to his Instagram Stories to welcome Aneet into the MHCU family.

He celebrated her Punjabi roots and encouraged her to keep pursuing her ambitions, saying he was proud to see talent from Punjab rise and expressing excitement to watch her shine in Shakti Shalini.

Aneet replied with gratitude, resharing his message and offering thanks for the warm reception.

She noted that support from someone she admires made the welcome even more special and thanked Khurrana for his kind words.

Directed by Amar Kaushik, Shakti Shalini is expected to continue the MHCU’s formula of supernatural tension drawn from Indian folklore, balanced with sharp, playful comedy.

Meanwhile, Thamma — starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna — continues to post healthy box-office numbers. Released on October 21, the film crossed the ₹90 crore milestone in India during its first week.

Trade estimates put Thamma’s Monday net at about ₹3.24 crore, taking its domestic total to around ₹94.54 crore. The movie opened with ₹24 crore on day one and sustained momentum through the week, with ₹18.6 crore on Wednesday, ₹13 crore on Thursday and ₹10 crore on Friday.

Across the weekend it earned ₹13.1 crore on Saturday and ₹12.6 crore on Sunday, giving a six-day domestic sum of ₹91.3 crore and a worldwide total near ₹124.5 crore.

The film follows Alok (Ayushmann Khurrana), who encounters the mysterious Tadaka (Rashmika Mandanna) on a hiking trip and later realises she is a betal — a vampiric figure from folklore.

With Thamma performing strongly and Shakti Shalini moving into production, the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe is consolidating its reputation as one of Bollywood’s most inventive and commercially successful film series.