Sreeleela was originally supposed to enter Hindi cinema opposite Kartik Aaryan in Anurag Basu’s romantic drama tentatively titled Aashiqui 3. But that film has been facing repeated delays for a long time now. As a result, Sreeleela may now make her Bollywood debut with Ibrahim Ali Khan’s Diler instead.
According to reports, Anurag Basu’s film was first planned as a major launch vehicle for Sreeleela in Hindi. The first look had already come out in February 2025, and the makers were targeting a Christmas release. But things did not go as planned after that. It is now July 2026, and there is still no clarity about the film.
The report says one of the reasons is the changing market for romantic dramas. After Saiyaara set a strong benchmark in that genre, the makers reportedly did not want another intense love story to arrive too soon and invite direct comparisons.
On top of that, Kartik Aaryan’s flop streak has become another problem.
His recent films like Chandu Champion and Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri failed at the box office, and that seems to have made the situation more complicated. With Kartik now busy shooting Naagzilla, Anurag Basu’s film is said to be stuck in limbo for now.
That is where Diler enters the picture.
Sreeleela is now reportedly expected to make her Bollywood debut with Diler, which stars Ibrahim Ali Khan, son of Saif Ali Khan, as the hero. The film is directed by Kunal Deshmukh and produced by Maddock Films. The makers are said to be targeting a Diwali release.
But this may not really be good news for Sreeleela either.
Yes, waiting endlessly for a delayed film with Kartik is not ideal. But shifting to a film with Ibrahim Ali Khan is not exactly a safe move. Kartik may be going through a rough phase, but he is still a known and somewhat saleable Bollywood hero with a market of his own. Ibrahim, on the other hand, still has zero real box office pull.
In fact, his two releases so far went directly to OTT, and both were heavily trolled. He has not created any strong excitement among the audience yet. So, if Sreeleela’s Bollywood launch really happens with Diler, then instead of debuting opposite an established star, she would be entering Hindi cinema with a hero who has no proven market and very weak hype.
That is what makes the situation tricky.
A launch opposite Kartik Aaryan may have been delayed and messy, but at least it had some face value. A launch opposite Ibrahim Ali Khan may happen faster, but it comes with a completely different risk. The film may not create much buzz in the first place.
