18 September,2025 12:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Deepika Padukone
The makers of Kalki 2898 AD on Thursday officially announced that actress Deepika Padukone will no longer be part of the upcoming highly anticipated sequel of the epic mythological science-fiction. They took to social media to share an official announcement saying that the film deserves "commitment and much more."
Vyjayanthi Movies, the production company of Kalki 2898 AD, took to X (formerly called Twitter) to share the announcement. The post read, "This is to officially announce that Deepika Padukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel of #Kalki2898AD." They added, "After careful consideration, we have decided to part ways. Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. And a film like Kalki2898AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future works."
Kalki 2898 AD is inspired by Hindu scriptures. The first instalment in the planned Kalki Cinematic Universe was released in 2024. It is set in a dystopian future in the year 2898 AD, following a group on a mission to protect lab subject SUM-80's unborn child, who is believed to be Kalki, Lord Vishnu's 10th and final avatar, from an evil supreme god-king, Yaskin. Deepika Padukone played the role of the pregnant woman, SUM-80, or Sumati.
Notably, this isn't the first instance where Deepika has quit a film in recent times. Before Kalki 2898 AD sequel, she exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit, which stirred up quite a controversy. She was eventually replaced by Triptii Dimri. A News18 report claims, sources told them, "The actor had reportedly demanded â¹25 crores for approximately 35 days of shoot, along with a 10% profit share, extensive entourage expenses, and even expressed unwillingness to deliver dialogues in Telugu - something the director felt strongly about. To top it off, confidential plot details from Spirit were allegedly leaked, which raised serious concerns among the producers."
The sources added, "Contrary to speculation, her restricted filming schedule of under 8 hours a day was never the primary issue. In filmmaking, working hours are fluid and depend on location, lighting, and various technical factors. You could shoot for 2 hours or 8, depending on the scene. What truly matters is flexibility, collaboration, and respect for the craft. It's about commitment. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga believes actors speaking their own lines builds authenticity and emotional connect with the audience," the source added.
