Hit To Flop, Sreeleela's Bollywood Debut Plans Go Awry

Sreeleela has long been in the news for her much-anticipated Bollywood debut. The actress signed on to feature opposite Kartik Aaryan in a musical directed by Anurag Basu. Pritam is scoring the music in this romantic drama. Earlier, rumours hinted that this is the third installment of the Aashiqui franchise. However, this project has kept key details under wraps, including its title. The movie was announced in March 2025. Thereafter, the team shot extensively in Darjeeling and other parts of North East India. BTS clips showing Kartik as a musician with a guitar playing at concerts kept fans hooked.

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However, over a year since its announcement, the release plans are in limbo. Meanwhile, the movie, which was supposed to mark Sreeleela's Hindi debut, has no official update from the makers. It is being reported that another film, which the actress has shot for opposite Saif Ali Khan's son Ibrahim Ali Khan, titled Diler, may release before Basu's musical.

Diler is also a romantic film and is being planned as a Diwali release. The makers were reportedly planning to announce it with its first look earlier, but delayed it to avoid comparisons with Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda's Saiyaara. Ibrahim has featured in two movies so far, which were direct-to-OTT releases. For both Nadaaniyan, his debut, and Sarzameen, Ibrahim has been trolled for his acting. As his OTT movies have invited immense criticism for his performances, chances are that Diler will have to brave this negative perception before its theatrical debut to succeed at the box office.

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Had Kartik's film released before Diler, Sreeleela had a fair chance at a hit Bollywood debut. With Ibrahim's Diler now certain to come before, Sreeleela's plans seem to have gone awry.