Putting a rest to the earlier speculation that Nikhila Vimal would feature in an item number in the Jayasurya-starrer Aadu 3, director Midhun Manuel Thomas has revealed that actor Vedhika will appear in a dance sequence in the upcoming fantasy comedy.

Speaking during a promotional interaction for the film in an interview that aired on the production house Friday Film House’s YouTube channel, Midhun clarified that reports about Nikhila performing an “item dance” were unfounded. He said the rumours had circulated widely on social media despite the makers having no such plan. According to the director, the film does include a dance sequence. He added that the sequence is not conceived as a conventional item number, but as a dance moment aligned with the film’s concept, and it is performed by Vedhika rather than Nikhila.

Aadu 3 marks the latest instalment in the popular comedy franchise led by Jayasurya, who reprises his role as Shaji Pappan. The film also features Vinayakan, Saiju Kurup, Sunny Wayne, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Indrans and Vijay Babu in key roles. The third instalment of the series is said to unfold across two timelines and introduces fantasy elements into the narrative. The franchise began with the 2015 film Aadu, which gained a cult following after its lacklustre theatrical run, eventually leading to the successful sequel Aadu 2 in 2017. Aadu 3 is scheduled to release in theatres on March 19.

Vedhika, a multilingual actor who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films, made her Malayalam debut with the 2013 Dileep-starrer Sringaravelan. Among her Malayalam outings, she is best known for her role in the 2016 romantic drama James & Alice, in which she played the titular Alice opposite Prithviraj Sukumaran's James.