Did SRK turn down horror-comedy 'Chamunda' with Alia Bhatt
10 Jan 2025

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has reportedly rejected an offer to star in Maddock Films's next, Chamunda.

The project is part of the production house's growing horror-comedy universe and was slated to hit theaters in 2026.

Although Maddock Films was eager to cast Khan opposite Alia Bhatt under Amar Kaushik's direction, the actor reportedly decided to explore new genres instead of joining an existing franchise.

Khan's meetings with Maddock Films and director Kaushik
Discussions

After the success of Stree 2, Khan had a closed-door meeting with Dinesh Vijan and director Kaushik to discuss possible collaborations.

The filmmaker duo met the superstar on several topics, including horror comedies, fantasy films, and adventure movies.

However, despite ongoing discussions and Maddock's offer for Chamunda, a source told Bollywood Hungama that Khan prefers to create his own path rather than join an established universe.

Maddock Films's upcoming release schedule revealed
Release dates

From 2025 to 2028, Vijan plans to release two films annually from his universe, initiating the second phase of the horror comedy superhero world.

Vijan has lined up a series of releases beginning with Thama on Diwali and Shakti Shalini on December 31, 2025.

The two films will pave the way for Chamunda's release on December 4, 2026, and Bhediya 2 on August 14, 2026. Stree 3 and Mahamunjya's release dates in 2027 are August 13 and December 24, respectively.

Maddock Films's grand narrative to climax with 'Mahayudh'
Grand finale

The grand narrative of Maddock Films's universe will culminate with an epic two-part story titled Mahayudh.

This ambitious project seeks to revolutionize the boundaries of horror humor in Indian cinema by uniting superheroes from throughout the Maddock horror comedy universe.

The first part, Pehla Mahayudh, is set to make its theatrical debut around Diwali 2028 on October 18, followed by Dusra Mahayudh on August 11, 2028.