Tripti Dimri replaces Kiara Advani in ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’

In a surprising turn of events, Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan left fans guessing with a cryptic teaser hinting at a new 'mystery girl' for his upcoming film "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3". However, the suspense didn't last long as Kartik took to Instagram to unveil his new co-star – none other than the "Animal" famed actress Tripti Dimri.

On Wednesday, Kartik Aaryan intrigued his followers by sharing a puzzling image featuring a piece of a puzzle with the smiling face of a woman. Placed on a table adorned with candles, a lantern, a lock, and a key, the mysterious photo left fans speculating about the identity of the mystery girl. Accompanying the image was a card bearing the title of the film, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3".

Finally revealing Tripti's entry into the horror comedy franchise, Kartik captioned the last photo of the 'puzzle series', "Welcome to the World of Bhool Bhulaiyaa @tripti_dimri."

Earlier this month, actor Vidya Balan, who essayed the role of Manjulika in the 2007 psychological horror-comedy film "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", returned to the franchise. Kartik, who headlined the second part and will also be seen in a lead role in the third part, welcomed Vidya on board.

"And its happening. Og Manjulika is coming back to the world of BhoolBhulaiyaaSuper thrilled to welcome @balanvidya. This Diwali is going to be crackling #BhoolBhulaiyaa3 @aneesbazmee @tseries.official #BhushanKumar," he wrote on Instagram.

Kartik had also dropped an edited video showing Vidya's iconic visuals as Manjulika from the first installment combined with visuals of Kartik from the second part. Anees Bazmee, who directed the second part, will direct the third part as well. The first part was helmed by Priyadarshan and featured Akshay Kumar alongside Vidya.

In the second part, Kartik shared screen space with Tabu and Kiara Advani. On expanding the franchise, producer Bhushan Kumar had said as quoted by news agency ANI, "'The Bhool Bhulaiyaa' franchise holds a special place in our hearts, and I'm very happy to be taking it forward with a creative mind like Anees and an incredible talent like Kartik. Together, we are set to deliver a cinematic experience that will both honuor the legacy of the franchise and bring double the laughter and thrill to the audience." 

"Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3" is slated to be released during Diwali (November) this year.