The casting of Bollywood star Deepika Padukone in Spirit had generated considerable interest when the project was first discussed. However, the collaboration eventually did not work out and Triptii Dimri joined Prabhas in the Sandeep Reddy Vanga directorial.
Producer Pranay Reddy Vanga has now spoken about what happened behind the scenes. He said the issue involved more than just dates or remuneration. According to him, several factors were considered before the team decided to explore other options. The producer also explained why the matter became more contentious after details from private discussions began appearing publicly.
Why Deepika Padukone exited Spirit?
Pranay said Sandeep Reddy Vanga had been interested in working with Deepika for nearly one to one-and-a-half years. The filmmaker reportedly liked her work and wanted her for the project. However the discussions changed as the project progressed.
Speaking about the reasons behind the casting change with NTV Telugu, Pranay said remuneration and scheduling were among the main concerns. He also stressed that there were other factors involved and that the final decision belonged to Sandeep. “First was remuneration, second was timings. Not just that, there were other reasons as well. I don’t remember on top of my head right now. But yeah, multiple things. It was Sandeep’s call,” he said.
Deepika’s reported 10 percent profit demand
Pranay further claimed that the financial expectations changed after some of Deepika’s films became successful. He said the actor began asking for 10 percent of the film’s net income after its release. “But a lot changes in a period of time. Even some of her films went on to become hits, so she started demanding 10 per cent of nett income (post-release profit). Thus, everything went overboard,” Pranay said.
He added that actors are free to make demands but the producers must decide whether they can agree to those terms. Once the economics stopped making sense the makers began looking at alternatives.
What upset Sandeep Reddy Vanga?
The producer also addressed the controversy that followed the casting discussions. According to Pranay private details from conversations that had taken place over a long period started circulating once the team began considering other actresses. He said this particularly angered Sandeep because the director believed such discussions should remain private. Pranay described Sandeep as someone who is usually calm but said the filmmaker reacted strongly because Spirit is an important project for him.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s post on the controversy
The controversy became more visible in May 2025 when Sandeep posted a strongly worded message on X about alleged “dirty PR games”. Although he did not name Deepika the post was widely linked to the casting dispute. Soon afterwards Triptii Dimri was announced as the female lead.
About Spirit
The Prabhas-led project is planned as a pan-world release in eight languages. As of now, the cast includes Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Desai which is currently scheduled to arrive in cinemas on March 5 2027.