Ever since actor Deepika Padukone’s exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit was revealed last year, speculation has continued over the reason behind her departure and the subsequent fallout between the actor and the makers. Reports that she had sought a fixed eight-hour shift had also added fuel to the speculation. Now, Pranay Reddy Vanga, co-producer of the film and Sandeep’s brother, has claimed that Deepika demanded a 10% share of the film’s profits, which led to Sandeep discontinuing the casting.

Elaborating on the reasons behind her departure, Pranay told NTV Telugu, “First was remuneration, second was timings. There were other reasons as well... It was Sandeep’s call.” He added, “She demanded 10% from the film’s profit. Soon after, everything went overboard. See, she can ask for anything... But the economics (budget) should also work out.”

On the fallout that followed, Pranay said, “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.”

Months after Deepika’s exit, Sandeep posted a cryptic message on X (inset above) which many assumed was aimed at the actor. A day later, he announced actor Triptii Dimri as the new female lead opposite Prabhas.

We reached out to Deepika’s team, but did not receive a response till the time of going to press.

Will Katrina Kaif return to the big screen with Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Spirit’? Well, the industry chatter is that the actor has been approached for a cameo in the Prabhas and Triptii Dimri-starrer. However, contrary to reports suggesting that the deal is finalized, mid-day has learnt that Kaif is keen on setting a few ground rules before saying yes.

A source indicated that the conversation between Kaif and Vanga is at an early stage. “The cameo comes at an important point in the film. She was offered the role a week ago and has not given her final answer yet,” said the source.

The role will require approximately five days of shooting. Yet, the sticking point appears to be the filmmaker’s demanding work schedule.

The source added, “As a new mother, one of her concerns is the long shifts Vanga is known for. Since it’s only a five-day commitment, there have been discussions around making the schedule more flexible, including comfortable work hours. However, nothing has been finalized.”

mid-day reached out to Kaif’s team, who didn’t respond till press time.

Prabhas has gone back in time to the World War II era — on screen, of course. The superstar and director Hanu Raghavapudi are currently shooting one of the most crucial portions of their period drama, Fauzi, in Hyderabad. mid-day has learnt that for the leg, the unit has recreated an elaborate Japanese Army camp of the 1940s at Ramoji Film City.

A source close to the production revealed, “The World War II backdrop is integral to the story. The director wanted every detail of the Japanese Army camp to feel authentic. The team has spent considerable time on the production design to recreate the period as accurately as possible for the screen.”

From what we’ve heard, Prabhas will continue shooting for Fauzi — that is reportedly set against the backdrop of the British Raj in India and sees the actor play a soldier — till July-end. After that, he will turn his attention to Spirit, his cop actioner helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga.

An insider said, “The major schedules of Spirit have been wrapped. Soon, the team will move to Dehradun and Goa for two stints.”

Whenever a big-ticket movie locks its release date, there is almost always a ripple effect. This time, it’s got to do with Prabhas’s Spirit and Salman Khan’s next with director Vamshi Paidipally, the working title of which is SVC63. Spirit, helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, was announced as a March 5, 2027, release. But now according to multiple trade sources, it has been postponed to December 1, 2027. What’s the trigger? Khan’s actioner.

An industry insider told mid-day, “Salman locked Eid 2027, which will fall in early March, for his next with Nayanthara. Once that date was taken, it didn’t make sense for Spirit to arrive in the same window. Vanga’s films rely heavily on sustained buzz and clean runs. So, the delay is a calculated move, not due to production issues.”

Now, Vanga appears to have chosen a date that brought him luck the last time around — December 1, which was Animal’s (2023) release date. Spirit, which pairs Prabhas with Triptii Dimri, is currently in production. Sources indicated that the filmmaker is sticking to an aggressive shooting schedule of the cop actioner, aiming to wrap principal photography by early 2027 regardless of the new date.

A source revealed, “Vanga wants enough room for editing, background score, and readying it in Hindi, Telugu, and other languages. The latest move shows that big-ticket offerings are increasingly averting clashes unless unavoidable.”

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Besides ‘Spirit’, Prabhas has the sequel to ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ in production. Director Nag Ashwin recently kicked off the latest schedule in Hyderabad, with the superstar expected to shoot the film’s core portions through May

Over the past few days, rumours have intensified about the teaser of ‘Salaar: Part 2 — Shouryaanga Parvam’ dropping online on January 25, leading social media to go into overdrive about the Prabhas-starrer. However, insiders close to the production have told mid-day that the much-hyped sequel to director Prashanth Neel’s ‘Salaar: Part 1 — Ceasefire’ (2023) is not happening anytime soon.

“The sequel hasn’t even entered the discussion stage yet, let alone a shoot timeline,” said a source associated with the action thriller.

In fact, Prabhas’s next to go on floors is the period war drama ‘Fauji’, directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. According to insiders, the actor is expected to kick off the project next week in Hyderabad, juggling it with filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Spirit’.

The source added, “Prabhas will be managing ‘Fauji’ and ‘Spirit’ together for the foreseeable future. The fate of ‘Salaar 2’ will be decided only after the director wraps his current project with Jr NTR, and Prabhas’s dates free up. That is likely to happen sometime in 2027.”

mid-day reached out to Hombale Films, the production house behind ‘Salaar’, which didn’t respond till press time.

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‘Salaar’ director Prashanth Neel is currently busy with his pan-India action film, reportedly titled ‘Dragon’. It stars Jr NTR, Tovino Thomas, and Anil Kapoor.

As the debate around fixed work hours in the film industry continues, actor Radhika Apte has lent her voice to the demand, saying it is “not possible” for her to work without clearly capped shifts. The conversation gathered momentum earlier this year after reports suggested actor Deepika Padukone was ousted from filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit after asking for fixed eight-hour shifts as a new mother.

Radhika, who became a mother last December, says that the real problem lies in how workdays quietly stretch far beyond what contracts promise. “I will not be able to work unless the producers now agree to 12-hour shifts. And by 12 hours, I mean including travel, makeup and hair. Otherwise, we are basically working for 16 hours,” the 40-year-old tells us.

Explaining the math, the actor points out that actors are often on set for a minimum of 14 hours, with extended shifts, followed by long commutes. “You can’t be away for 16 hours. Otherwise, you will never get to see your child,” she says, adding how many shoots also lack weekly offs and even proper lunch breaks.

The actor, seen in the films Last Days and Saali Mohabbat this year, shares, “A lot of work came to me this year, but I’m not taking up anything till April... I will not be able to work on most projects because a lot of people won’t agree to this.”

With Deepika Padukone’s exit, one might have assumed Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit would be delayed. Instead, the Prabhas and Triptii Dimri-starrer is now likely to release in August 2027, significantly earlier than its initial December 2027 date. According to industry sources, the shift follows strong advice from distributors to avoid a clash with Marvel’s Avengers: Secret Wars, scheduled for December 17, 2027.

“[The distributors] told the makers very clearly that clashing with Avengers: Secret Wars is not sensible. That film will dominate globally. An August release gives Spirit the space it needs,” a source informed mid-day.

To meet the advanced deadline, the production team has fast-tracked the film, with calendars being reworked. A source close to the project confirms that shooting began on November 26.

“The shoot kickstarted in Hyderabad with Prabhas joining the sets on Thursday [November 27] evening. He will film till December-end, followed by a New Year break. The next schedule is slated to kick off in Mexico in early 2026. They might rework a couple of sequences to match the speed — from Prabhas’ dates, the action choreography, to the stunt prep — [will be reorganized]. The intention is to protect the film’s scale.”

If all proceeds as planned, Spirit may secure an uninterrupted box-office run, positioning it as one of 2027’s biggest Indian releases.

Ever since actor Deepika Padukone’s exit from director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and director Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD sequel, there has been a lot of conversation around work shifts. Now, while promoting her upcoming film Revolver Rita in Hyderabad, actor Keerthy Suresh explained why work shifts in the film industry are ideal for actors and technicians. Here’s what she said.

Keerthy told the press that she has worked various shifts throughout her career, sometimes even from 9 am to 2 am the next day. While shooting for Mahanati, she also worked on five other films, she revealed. But, she emphasized that for health reasons, it would be ideal to have an 8-hour shift.

Explaining what a day looks like for most actors, she said, “For a 9 o’clock shift, if I have to be there by 7:30 am, I have to start from home at 6:30 am and wake up by 5:30 am. And when you pack up by 6-6:30 pm, you leave by 7 pm to go back and change. By the time you reach back home, it’s 8:15 pm. We change and go to work out by 8:30 pm, and by the time you’re done, it’s 10 pm. You shower, have dinner, and it’s already 11p m. Now, I have to wake up at 5:30 am after sleeping at 11:30 pm.”

She added how in Malayalam and Hindi, actors and technicians work longer hours with less time to sleep. “We say 8 hours of sleep is good, but we hardly get to sleep for 6 hours. And this is in an ideal 9-6 shift. Imagine us shooting for more hours, imagine the technicians reaching sets before and packing up after us,” she explained, adding, “In Tamil and Telugu, we usually have a standard of 9-6. But in Malayalam and Hindi, they work for 12 hours. In Malayalam, they work without breaks in continuous schedules, and it’s difficult. They sleep 3-4 hours, and lightmen in Kerala sleep 2-3 hours.”

Animal (2023) may not be the only franchise that filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga is building. Even before his next, Spirit, with Prabhas has gone on floors, the buzz is that the filmmaker is developing the cop action film as a franchise.

According to industry sources, filming of the Prabhas and Triptii Dimri-starrer is slated to begin in February 2026. Insiders say that discussions are underway about embedding a cliffhanger at the end of Spirit, thus setting the stage for the second chapter.

A source tells mid-day, “The makers are planning to build a world centred on Prabhas’s cop. They are exploring whether the first part can end at a cliffhanger and leave the audience eager for what comes next.”

After The Raja Saab hits the screens in January, the actor will face the camera for Vanga’s directorial venture. The first schedule will be conducted in Mumbai, after which the team will head to international locations, including Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia. The source adds, “A look test was done some time ago, and the makers have zeroed in on two distinct avatars for Prabhas. There is a flashback scene, which will be shot in the Mumbai leg.”

Deepika Padukone has finally addressed the controversy surrounding her demand for an eight-hour workday, which reportedly led to her exit from director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and director Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2.

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, the actor highlighted that while “male superstars” have worked similar hours for years, it “never made headlines”. “By virtue of being a woman, if that’s coming across as being pushy or whatever, then so be it. But it’s no secret that a lot of superstars, male superstars, in the Indian film industry, have been working for eight hours for years, and it’s never made headlines,” she said.

The 39-year-old added that many male actors even refrain from working on weekends: “I don’t want to take names now and make this into a whole thing. They do not even work on weekends.”

Deepika also commented on the broader state of the film industry, describing it as “a very disorganized industry”, and emphasizing that “it’s time we brought in some system into this culture”.

When asked about navigating change in her own way, she responded, “I am someone who has always fought my battles silently, and for some strange reason, sometimes they become public, which is not the way I’ve been brought up. To fight my battles silently and in a dignified way is the way I know.” 

Deepika Padukone’s character Sum-80 was central to the story of Kalki 2898 AD (2024). Can one imagine the sequel without the actor? The makers can, and are doing so. On Thursday, they announced that Padukone will not return for the sequel of the sci-fi action film that was headlined by Prabhas and her. Vyjayanthi Movies, the studio behind Nag Ashwin’s ambitious directorial venture, kept its statement brief but pointed.

An excerpt from it read, “Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. A film like Kalki 2898 AD deserves that commitment and much more”.

Understandably, the development has created ripples across the industry. This comes four months after Padukone was dropped from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, reportedly over the actor’s request for stipulated working hours — an ask that many sections felt was justified for the new mother. On Kalki 2, multiple factors apparently led to the split, one being the request for eight-hour workdays.

A source tells mid-day, “It wasn’t unreasonable from Deepika’s perspective because she has a young child and wants a work-life balance. But on a film like Kalki, an eight-hour workday translates to about six hours of camera time. Kalki is heavy on action and VFX, and that sort of schedule is hard to accommodate.”

An insider close to the production reveals that the decision makers at the banner, planning to roll Kalki 2 by the year-end, knew that any uncertainty around schedules would burden the expensive film. The insider says, “Kalki 2 is a multi-hundred crore film with an ensemble cast, and enormous technical and logistical challenges. Any uncertainty around a lead actor’s time can derail the entire chain.”

Another point of contention was money, according to multiple sources. It is heard that Padukone’s team proposed a fee hike from her compensation for the first film. “The studio felt the combination of higher fee and limited hours made the project unworkable.” Reports suggest that the studio also had reservations regarding the actor’s entourage costs. 

Negotiations not materializing is common in the movie business. What stood out starkly in this case is Vyjayanthi Movies’ step to publicly announce the parting of ways on social media. Apparently, the decision was rooted in caution.

A source shares, “The production house was clear that they didn’t want a repeat of the media showdown that happened during Spirit. Kalki is a prestigious film for them, and they didn’t want multiple narratives to surround it.”

mid-day contacted Padukone’s team, Vyjayanthi Movies, and Ashwin, who didn’t respond till press time.

Fatima Sana Shaikh has had a busy July with two back-to-back releases — Metro…In Dino and Aap Jaisa Koi. Both the films explored love in different ways. Talking about her tryst with love stories, the actor quips, “I’m living my love life through my films.”

In both the films, her character was battling for a relationship of equals. Ask about it, and she says, “Equality in a relationship is very important. I wouldn’t want my partner to change me or vice versa. Two people get attracted to each other because of who they are. That’s why it’s important to first respect each other, and once that happens, everything is fine.”

In Aap Jaisa Koi, she stars alongside R Madhavan, a character with a patriarchal mindset. Fatima asserts that “it’s not only women”, but also men who suffer because of it: “So many men are in toxic relationships. But when they come out with their stories, they are ridiculed. That is also due to patriarchy, as [the belief is that] boys are not supposed to cry and they can’t complain. So, even men face the wrath of patriarchy.”

The recent feud between actor Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga over the film Spirit raised a debate that when female actors make demands, they are termed unprofessional. Ask Fatima if she feels that women taking a stand for themselves ruffles the feathers of male bigwits, and the 33-year-old agrees.

But she adds that things are changing: “The understanding of what a woman thinks is changing, as there are more working women now. The perception about how a woman should be like and what kind of roles she should do is also changing. Now, we can imagine a woman as a villain too. Earlier, there would only be men antagonists.”

The Deepika Padukone-Sandeep Reddy Vanga controversy over Spirit’s casting has sparked a debate about the industry’s work culture. Chitrangda Singh, recently seen in Housefull 5, is the latest celeb to weigh in on the eight-hour shift issue.

“Deepika is so senior, has the stardom to make demands, and has the privilege to decide whether she wants to be part of a project, depending on whether they accept what she wants. I think it’s a great place to be,” says the actor-producer.

However, the 49-year-old empathizes with the makers of a film: “From a director’s or producer’s point of view, you also have to take care of the business of cinema. I understand that they have certain plans and there’s a schedule as well. So, you’re also running against the few markers you have when it comes to money or time.”

Chitrangda believes that both parties have the right to make their choices, noting the difficulty of balancing personal and professional commitments in an industry driven by constant work and financial pressures — a dynamic unlikely to change soon.

She says, “The personal and professional spaces don’t always overlap that well. So, it’s very difficult to find that kind of balance in a workplace, especially in an industry where ‘work work work’ is everything, even at times more than money. This is the nature of our industry, and I don’t think we can change that overnight.”

Reflecting on her early days as a mother, the actor says she didn’t expect special treatment, believing in taking equal responsibility as a professional.

“When you are there as a professional, you have to show up as a professional in that capacity. At that point, I don’t think I would be okay making an excuse,” she explains. She also acknowledges that those she worked with were considerate and supportive during personal crises. She says, “I have seen makers go out of their way for people when they had family emergencies. So, it’s not fair to villainize either of the parties.”.

As the Hindi film industry debates the feasibility of eight-hour workdays for actors — especially working mothers — actor-director Renuka Shahane is offering a measured perspective grounded in both personal experience and professional insight. The conversation was reignited recently when actor Deepika Padukone’s request for an eight-hour workday reportedly led to tensions with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, prompting wider industry discussion about on-set schedules, gendered expectations, and work-life balance.

Renuka, whose latest directorial project Loop Line (Dhhaavpatti in Marathi) is set to screen at the New York Indian Film Festival, feels that the issue isn’t as binary as it’s being made out to be. “I don’t want to make a general statement on it because I feel that even some male actors want to minimize work hours, not just female actors,” she says, adding, “Many have come out and said they want more time with their families.”

The mother of two added that she’s known women who work 18-hour shifts on television sets and raise their children alongside them: “That’s a choice they’ve made. There shouldn’t be compulsion — some mothers want or need to work longer hours.”

However, the 58-year-old emphasizes that clear communication and respect between all parties is essential: “This is a creative field that requires collaboration. Unless you’re all on the same page, there’s no point moving ahead. Signing on the dotted line must be mutual. That sense of respect is non-negotiable.”

Loop Line, Renuka’s animated short film, explores the often-invisible discrimination women face at home and in society. It’s an unexpected pairing of format and theme — animation is still rarely used for mature, socially driven stories — but Renuka says the story itself demanded it. “When I was writing, I kept imagining the kind of escapism you see in animation. A mix of live action and animation would’ve diluted the experience. The story chose the medium.”

Actor Deepika Padukone’s exit from director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit has been in the news for a while, as she reportedly demanded an eight-hour work shift to be able to spend time with her nine-month-old daughter, Dua. Apart from social media trolls, even Sandeep appeared to take a veiled jab at Deepika’s “professionalism” and accused her of playing “dirty PR games”. While actors Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan spoke about the importance of prioritising personal life, now filmmaker Mani Ratnam, too, has commented on the ongoing debate on shift hours.

“I think it is a rightful demand. I’m glad she’s in a position to ask for it. I think, as a filmmaker, you will take that into consideration when you cast. It is not an unreasonable thing to ask, but an absolute necessity. I think that should be the priority. You have to acknowledge that, understand it and work around it,” he told News18.

Earlier, Ajay had said: “It’s not that it’s not going down well with people. Most honest filmmakers will not have a problem with it.”

Similarly, speaking at the Arab Media Summit, Saif said: “I hate coming home and seeing the kids already asleep. That’s not success. Success is being able to say, ‘No, I need to go home now to catch that half hour with them’.”

When Deepika Padukone walked out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, it exposed the deeply gendered fissures within Bollywood’s power structures. This is an industry where exits by leading men are often romanticized as acts of creative rebellion, like in the case of Salman Khan leaving Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Inshallah.

The narrative surrounding Deepika’s exit was, however, aggressively shaped with slander. From the very first piece itself, she was branded “unprofessional” for asking for strict eight-hour work days, remuneration in the range of Rs 40 crore, an additional fee if the shoot extends beyond the allotted number of days, and a share of profits, which is customary for male stars. Her male co-star Prabhas, reportedly commands a fee ranging between Rs 100 to Rs 200 crore per film.

Deepika was promptly replaced by Triptii Dimri the next day. Dimri made it to national fame for her extended cameo in Vanga’s last film Animal. And then appeared a news report about how a major bone of contention between Padukone and Vanga was the number of “bold” scenes in the movie.

Vanga lashed back with a tweet, “When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100 per cent 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 ? As a filmmaker, I put years of hard work behind my craft & for me, filmmaking is everything. You didn’t get it. You won’t get it. You will never get it. Aisa karo... Agli baar poori kahani bolna... kyunki mujhe jarra bhi farak nahi padtha. #dirtyPRgames I like this kahawath very much :-) खुंदक में बिल्ली खंबा नोचे!” [an embarrassed person tends to vent their feelings by quarrelling].

Padukone, who was attending a Cartier event in Copenhagen the same day, said in an interview, “I think what keeps me balanced is just being truthful, being authentic. Whenever I am faced with complicated or difficult situations, I listen to my inner voice and make decisions that give me peace. That’s when I feel most in equilibrium.”

What followed thereafter was a battle between Vanga supporters and Deepika stans.

Lawyer and activist Devrupa Rakshit tells us, “Watching this play out in the media has been nothing short of whiplash. This goes far deeper than an industry spat, and is a great case study in how patriarchy punishes women who know their worth, and label them ‘difficult’ or ‘replaceable’ the moment they stop playing nice or demand equity. As soon as a woman, no matter how accomplished, dares to set boundaries or ask for compensation comparable to her male counterparts, the system is very quick to remind her where it thinks she belongs. The rhetoric about whether Deepika is ‘worth Rs 20 crore’ is so hypocritical! Why are we even asking that when we rarely interrogate the sky-high demands of male actors, even when they consistently deliver flops?”

She posted about this on her social media, a post liked by Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor. 

Rakshit continues — “The responses to my post were so telling! They made the gender divide painfully clear. For many women, obviously, it resonated deeply, seeing their own experiences of being dismissed for asking for raises, for setting work-hour boundaries, for not overextending themselves just to appear “dedicated” reflected here. On the other hand, a large chunk of men are justifying the hate Deepika is receiving, with arguments like how she’s not a box-office draw, how there are thousands of girls who’d do it for free, or how she should be grateful she’s getting paid at all. There were also comments trying to sidestep the gender issue entirely, by framing it as a purely business decision. We don’t hear these same arguments when male actors charge three to four times more despite flopping repeatedly. At the heart of it is a deep-rooted discomfort with women asserting agency, especially around money and autonomy. This is also why stories like Deepika’s strike such a nerve. If someone with her fame, skill, and track record isn’t ‘allowed’ to ask for better, what hope is there for the rest of us?”

Filmmakers routinely bend over backwards to accommodate male superstars, adjusting shoot schedules, rewriting scripts, and sometimes even shelving projects. Which is why when Rhea Kapoor waited for a year for Kareena Kapoor Khan to make Veere Di Wedding, it made headlines. 

One top female producer, speaking on condition of anonymity, says, “The industry has long known that there are certain directors who maintain control through fear and manipulation. But now we’re seeing that actresses like Deepika are no longer willing to trade dignity for screen time. That’s a tectonic shift. And it threatens the old order.”

This kind of shift isn’t new. The subtext of this exit echoes past incidents, like Anushka Sharma’s push for better roles under her production banner or Kareena Kapoor discussing pay parity and lack of insurance for pregnant women on Bollywood sets. The industry’s patriarchal core is met with fierce resistance from women working here now. An image manager at Matrix the company who reps Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, says, “Deepika has made it clear she won’t tolerate creative environments that don’t serve her. Kareena, too, left Yash-starrer Toxic due to monetary disputes with the makers. The ladies are saying that they won’t be tossed around. They know their worth and won’t short-sell.”

This is perhaps why Padukone’s brand emerges stronger post-exit. Industry whispers indicate that several directors have approached her since, and she is on the verge of locking Atlee’s next alongside Allu Arjun, for whom this is the next after the success of Pushpa 2. A male screenwriter comments, “This is the era of image-led storytelling. When an actress becomes symbolic of a larger cultural stance, like not tolerating toxicity, she doesn’t need a hit film to stay relevant. She becomes the story.”

And Vanga? He may ride the wave of attention into a successful release, but his penchant for controversial masculinity may have once seemed audacious, now it risks coming across as repetitive. 

A senior publicist believes that this is a classic eyeball-grabbing move by Vanga. “He is playing a long game here. Every time he positions himself as misunderstood or vilified, he strengthens his appeal among a very specific demographic of viewers, mostly young men. And now, he is going after a top actress and accusing her of things like leaking the plot of his film. But nothing about the film is known except the fact that it is a cop thriller.”

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh rubbishes this theory. He says, “When a writer narrates a story, it is meant to be a secret. It’s an unspoken fact. You can’t tell the story. A filmmaker would feel hurt. Even in the 1970s and ’80s, actors would pass on films because of scheduling conflicts. Sholay had multiple casting changes but the story never got leaked. Stars and even directors need to part ways amicably. And no, I don’t believe negativity is publicity because no one wants or benefits from publicity like this.”

Female agency is suffering the most, Kolkata-based sociologist Susmita Bandhopadhyay tells Sunday mid-day. Padukone’s supporters, who made the issue about feminism, gave the issue an ugly turn and worked overtime to run down Triptii, who only took up a new film that someone else was supposed to do.

“Feminism, at its core, is about women pulling each other up. So what’s happening right now is not feminism. It’s a PR show that uses feminists as pawns. What happened to Deepika is unfortunate, but the minute Triptii’s slut-shaming began, it became counter-productive. In the end, it became the classic woman-pitted-against-woman and be it Deepika or Triptii, a woman lost.”

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, which marks the director’s return to Telugu cinema, has been in the news for a while. The film, which stars Prabhas in the lead role, saw a major controversy when actor Deepika Padukone was replaced by actor Triptii Dimri recently. The matter has sparked a heated debate, with some criticizing Deepika for allegedly leaking the film’s plot and putting down Triptii, while others have criticised Sandeep and team Spirit for reportedly labelling Deepika’s demands as “unprofessional”.

A Pinkvilla report detailed the plot of the film, noting that Prabhas plays a cop in the thriller. The report also mentions certain “bold scenes” between the lead pair. Sandeep took to X to imply that the leak had come from Deepika, writing: “When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA 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? (sic).”

Sandeep Reddy Vanga and the production house T-Series recently announced casting Triptii Dimri as the female lead. Sandeep wrote on X: “The female lead for my film is now official (sic).”

Triptii wrote on Instagram: “Still sinking in…. So grateful to be trusted with this journey. Thank you @sandeepreddy.vanga ..honoured to be a part of your vision (sic).”

According to a Bollywood Hungama report, Deepika “refused to shoot for more than 6 hours a day” for Spirit and requested contract amendments, including extra pay for shoot beyond 100 days. Despite reports of her being “unprofessional,” sources close to the actor claimed that her demands were reasonable, given her stardom and new motherhood. The source added that Deepika was trying to balance time for her daughter, Dua, while obliging her work commitments.

Social media users started speculating that Sandeep’s tweet was aimed at Deepika. A user even described the controversy as, “Fake Feminism vs Toxic Misogynist”. Meanwhile, some called out Deepika. One wrote: “Finally, Deepika’s ugly pr game has met its match in Vanga. She leaked the bold scenes bit to get Tripti hate and save herself from criticism for leaving but Vanga won’t have it! (sic).” 

Many were concerned about Triptii. A fan wrote, “Does anyone else feel like Tripti is being slut shamed a LOT? It could be any article or comment about her, and somehow people would connect it to her being a ‘bold’ ‘A-rated’ actress (sic).”

Following the mammoth success of Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, while fans are eager to know more about its sequel Animal Park, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has dived headlong into his next, Spirit. Fronted by Prabhas, the film is said to be a cop thriller. Now, it is learnt that Vanga plans to take the project on floors by February 2024, with the first schedule slated to take place in Mumbai.

A source reveals, “Sandeep is giving finishing touches to the script and will lock it by January-end. The pan-India film will be shot across different parts of the city, especially in Film City and Chembur. The makers have already requested for large crowds. The first schedule will require 500 action artistes.”

Spirit will be co-produced by Allu Arjun, who is said to be teaming up with Vanga for a big-ticket project. While it was initially reported that the director had given a script narration to Arjun for their next, producer Pranay Reddy Vanga clarified later that the storyline is yet to be finalised. The plan is that the director will wrap up Spirit first, and move on to his next with Arjun, who will have wrapped up Pushpa 2: The Rule by then.

The cohesive partnership between producer Bhushan Kumar and director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, built on trust and creative freedom, has birthed a cinematic experience like Animal. Vanga finds not just a producer but an unwavering backup in Bhushan Kumar, a camaraderie that goes beyond conventional partnerships.

Vanga believes that when you trust a producer, you can focus on your craft. He shares, “The process of making Animal was very smooth with Bhushan ji around. The kind of freedom he gives in terms of creativity and the liberty to choose any song makes me feel at home at T-Series, and there is nothing more than that a director needs. I didn’t just find a partner to work with, I found a brother in Bhushan ji.”

The convergence of creativity and commercial viability is often considered a challenge. However, for this duo, the distinction between creativity and commercialism is a bridge they effortlessly navigate. The pursuit of creativity even surpasses budgetary constraints sometimes. Vanga shared, “I realized after the movie was made that we never discussed the budget.”

Highlighting that some stories can’t be time-bound and require a certain length, the Animal director added, “Bhushan ji always stood by me and showed complete faith in my conviction about the film’s length. With this level of trust and comfort, I am collaborating with him on more projects, including Spirit with Prabhas, Animal Park, a film with Allu Arjun and many more.”

For Bhushan Kumar, understanding and trusting Vanga’s vision is paramount. He says, “From day one to now, our bond has only become stronger, and Sandeep and Pranay (Reddy Vanga) are now like a family to me. As soon as Sandeep narrated the one-line description of Animal, which was all about a father-son relationship, I was all in for it.”

Kumar added, “I’m also glad to have found a like-minded co-producer in Pranay Reddy Vanga. Together, we will produce better movies for the Indian audience and bring joy to the masses in the years to come.”