Nearly a year after her departure from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming Prabhas-starrer Spirit, Deepika Padukone has landed back at the centre of the ongoing discourse surrounding her exit. The conversation reignited this week after director Vanga’s brother and producer, Pranay Reddy Vanga, claimed that the actress was dropped from the project because the makers refused her demand for a 10% share in the film’s profits.
On Friday, journalist Janvi Manchanda published a detailed carousel post on Instagram directly addressing Pranay Vanga’s recent claims. The caption highlighted the contrasting attitudes toward male and female actors in the industry, asking: “Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s brother Pranay claims Deepika Padukone asked for 10% profit share of Spirit and I’m just wondering, did we forget male actors have been doing this for years? Why is a woman doing the same NEWS?”
The opening slide of the post criticised the backlash, reading: “Breaking: Deepika Padukone Allegedly Wanted 10% Of Spirit’s Profits. Judging by the meltdown, you’d think she asked for the entire film and Vanga estate. Sounds like we have a full-blown male-ego crisis on our hands. A woman rejected a deal, and misogyny couldn’t handle a woman’s ‘no.'”
Padukone implicitly voiced her agreement by “liking” the post. Within 12 hours, the post amassed over 8,000 likes and nearly 2,000 shares, drawing strong support from fans and industry observers who echoed concerns over gender-based pay disparities.
Pranay Vanga Claims Remuneration Led To Exit
The controversy resurfaced following Pranay Reddy Vanga’s recent interview with NTV Telugu, where he elaborated on why negotiations with Padukone fell through.
“The reason is the same as what was already mentioned. One was remuneration, the second was timing. Apart from that, there are some other reasons too,” Pranay said during the interview. “See, she can ask for anything. If we are willing to give, we can give. But the economics [budget] should also work out for us. We thought that it was not working. This is why we thought of other options. Once we started looking for other options, they started leaking everything.”
Work hours and NDA debates
Padukone was originally scheduled to begin filming Spirit last year before reports confirmed her departure in April. Initial reports indicated that the actress, who had recently become a mother, requested a fixed 8-hour workday, a condition the production team reportedly declined. Around the same time, the makers of Kalki 2898 AD also announced her exit from their sequel, sparking intense public debates regarding working hours, professionalism, and compensation in big-budget cinema.
As news circulated that Triptii Dimri was being considered to replace Padukone, reports suggested Padukone had reservations about certain intimate scenes in the script. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga subsequently posted a sharp message on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the actress of breaching trust:
“When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, you’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the person that you are…. Putting down a Younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for?”
Triptii Dimri was eventually cast alongside Prabhas, with the makers unveiling the film’s first look on New Year’s Day 2026. Spirit, which also stars Vivek Oberoi, is currently scheduled for release on March 5, 2027.
Deepika Padukone’s upcoming projects
Despite the fallout surrounding Spirit, Padukone remains focused on a high-profile lineup of upcoming projects. She is set to star alongside Shah Rukh Khan in King, and will also share the screen with Allu Arjun in director Atlee’s highly anticipated feature, Raaka.
