May 22, 2025: After the roaring success of Animal, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga is gearing up for his next ambitious venture, Spirit, starring Prabhas in the lead role. However, in a surprising development, Deepika Padukone, who was previously rumored to play the female lead, has reportedly exited the project amid a fallout with the production team.
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Deepika was allegedly dropped from Spirit due to disagreements over remuneration and reported “unprofessional” behaviour. 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 began demanding contract amendments. Their issue was straightforward: if the shoot extended beyond 100 days, she wanted additional payment for every extra day of work.”
While there has been no official confirmation from the filmmakers, reports suggest the director and production house are actively looking to recast the female lead. The project, already facing delays due to multiple issues, might now be postponed further.
Initially, Spirit was delayed due to Deepika’s pregnancy and later because of Prabhas’ injury and his commitments to other high-profile projects like Kalki 2898 AD and Salaar 2. Industry insiders are now speculating that the film may not go on floors until early 2026, despite producer Bhushan Kumar recently stating that the shoot would commence in the “next two to three months.”
Fans of both Prabhas and Sandeep Reddy Vanga are eagerly awaiting updates on the film, which promises to be a gritty action-drama. Once Spirit wraps, Vanga is expected to move on to the highly anticipated sequel to Animal, titled Animal Park.
As the makers remain silent, all eyes are on who will step into the role opposite Prabhas and how this behind-the-scenes shake-up will affect one of the most anticipated films in Indian cinema.