Spirit Producer, Pranay Reddy Vanga, has now made a serious claim that Deepika Padukone leaked the script. This is on top of the earlier reports about a clash over her fee, which has stirred up a fresh storm in Bollywood.
Deepika Padukone has been winning over audiences for more than two decades with one challenging role after another. But in 2025, Bollywood’s ‘Mastani’ found herself in the middle of a few controversies. News started doing the rounds that she had been dropped from two big films: Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Spirit’ and Nag Ashwin’s ‘Kalki 2898 AD’. The whole saga really kicked off with ‘Spirit’.
Initially, reports suggested that Deepika left ‘Spirit’ because of a disagreement over her fee and working hours. There were even stories that the actress had asked for an eight-hour shift, keeping her maternity period in mind. Now, the film’s producer, Pranay Reddy Vanga, who is also Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s brother, has added a new twist to this old story.
In a recent interview with an entertainment channel, Pranay confirmed that the earlier reasons reported for Deepika’s exit were true. However, he added that there was more to the story. He said that director Sandeep himself finally decided not to have Deepika in the film.
Pranay claimed that Deepika was actually Sandeep’s first choice for ‘Spirit’. The team had been in discussions with her for almost a year and a half. But problems started when they couldn’t agree on her fee and the film’s overall budget.
According to the producer, Deepika had demanded 10 percent of the film’s profits. He said, “It’s not unusual for an actress to have her own demands about fees and conditions. But as producers, we have to think about the budget and the overall financial plan.” The team felt that if they agreed to Deepika’s demand, the film would not be financially practical. That’s when they started looking for other actresses.
But the controversy got even bigger because of another serious allegation. Pranay claimed that the team had discussed the story and Deepika’s character in ‘Spirit’ in great detail with her. He alleges that this confidential information was later leaked to the public. He said the makers were quite upset that details about the movie’s plot and characters had gotten out.
This isn’t the first time such a claim has been made. Sandeep Reddy Vanga had also accused Deepika of leaking the script earlier. That issue had created its own share of drama, with different explanations coming from Deepika’s team over time. So, the mystery around why she really left ‘Spirit’ has never fully been solved.
Meanwhile, Deepika is one of the busiest and most popular actresses in Bollywood today. So, it’s natural for fans to be curious about why she would exit such a highly anticipated film. Pranay Reddy Vanga’s latest comments have brought the old issue back into the limelight. But only time will tell how this controversy will finally end.