Deepika Padukone dropped from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's 'Spirit': Report

Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has been working on 'Spirit', his upcoming film. According to reports, actor Deepika Padukone, who was earlier in the film, is now no longer part of the project

Following the success of his Bollywood hit Animal, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has been actively developing his next big project, Spirit, starring Prabhas. However, recent reports suggest that actor Deepika Padukone, who was initially attached to the film, is no longer part of the cast.

 

According to Filmfare, the actress was dropped from Spirit because of "unprofessional" behavior and disputes over remuneration. However, there has been no confirmation of the news from the makers.

 

The search for Prabhas’s new co-star in Spirit is still underway. Actors like Pooja Hegde, Kajal Aggarwal, Mrunal Thakur, Shraddha Kapoor, Trisha Krishnan, Kareena Kapoor could be considered for the role, as per reports. 

 

Why was Deepika Padukone removed from 'Spirit'?

Deepika, who became a mother last year, had reportedly asked for a flexible schedule, citing an 8-hour work limit. According to reports, regarding the alleged modifications, the movie's makers have not yet issued an official announcement.

 

Filmfare reports that Padukone was removed from Spirit due to disagreements about her pay and claimed lack of professionalism. According to the story, which cited Telugu entertainment outlets, Deepika asked for an 8-hour workday, which equates to 6-hours of shooting. Some reports also claimed that the actress also asked for a share of the movie's profits in addition to ₹20 crore as her pay.

 

A source told Bollywood Hungama, "Sandeep Reddy Vanga got the shock of his life when Deepika Padukone refused to shoot for more than 6 hours a day for Spirit. That's not all, the actress, via her agency, also started to demand an amendment to the contract. Their point of contention was simple - if the shoot extends beyond 100 days, Deepika will have to be paid extra for every single day of shoot beyond the commitment on paper." 

More about the Sandeep Reddy Vanga's 'Spirit' ongoing issues

Due to Deepika's pregnancy and delivery of her daughter Dua with her husband Ranveer Singh, Spirit has already had several delays. Later, the filming was further delayed by Prabhas' injury and other professional obligations. 

 

Many speculated that Spirit might have been put on hold, but producer Bhushan Kumar recently gave fans an update on the movie's progress. He stated in an interview that Spirit is probably going to start filming within the next 2 to 3 months. 

 

Prabhas is reportedly expected to complete the sequels of his previous hits, Kalki 2898 AD and Salaar, before beginning work on Spirit.