Pranay Reddy Vanga and Deepika Padukone. Pics via X, Instagram
Sandeep Reddy Vanga's brother and the producer of Spirit, Pranay Reddy Vanga, has now broken his silence on Deepika Padukone's controversial exit from the film. Her exit from the film last year became a highly controversial and talked-about topic as many rumours surfaced around it. The move had also sparked debates about pay parity and work hours in the entertainment industry.
Amid the rumours and murmurs, Pranay has now confirmed that Deepika exited the project due to remuneration, scheduling and other issues. While talking to NTV Telugu, Pranay said, "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. I don't remember on the top of my head right now, but there were multiple things. It was Sandeep's call."
He further added that his brother and director Sandeep was keen to cast the actress and had been in touch with her for 1.5 years. He added, "She demanded 10 per cent of the film's profit. Soon after, everything went overboard. 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".
He further alleged, "Once we started looking for other options, they started leaking everything⦠We discussed the story and character with her. Things discussed internally should not be revealed, but she leaked all of them. That is why we are disturbed." Pranay even said that they were willing to pay Deepika Rs 5-6 crore more; however, the overall budget of the film became an issue for the actress.
Deepika Padukone's exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's much-anticipated film, Spirit, became public in late May 2025, after the director officially announced Triptii Dimri as the new female lead opposite Prabhas. Triptii has earlier worked with Sandeep in Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal. Following Deepika's exit, several rumours and theories began doing the rounds on the internet, leaving the industry divided.
Prabhas and Triptii Dimri-starrer, Spirit, is scheduled to be arrive in theatres on March 5, 2027.
