After Deepika Padukone’s exit, Kalki director Nag Ashwin posts cryptic message: ‘You can’t change what’s happened’

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Deepika’s Exit

According to reports by Bollywood Hungama, Deepika and the makers of the film did not see eye to eye when it came to monetary compensation for the film. The publication reported that the actor wanted a 25% increase in fees, plus five-star accommodation for her team consisting of 25 people. A source close to the incident told the publication, “That’s not all; she put her foot down on shooting for just 7 hours a day. Given that Kalki 2898 AD is a VFX-heavy film, such short shoots were likely to shoot up the budget by a reasonable amount. The producers were willing to provide a luxury vanity to Deepika for rest in return for longer shoot hours, but she refused. They also tried to negotiate finances, given that even Prabhas had not asked for an increment in fees. She and her team refused to adjust on either.”

The news first broke out when the production house behind the film, Vyjayanthi Films, announced on their X (formerly Twitter) page, ‘This is to officially announce that Deepika Padukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel of Kalki 2898 AD. 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.”

This marks Deepika’s second exit from a major project following her decision to part ways with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s film Spirit. The actor was apparently not happy with her demand of a strict eight-hour shift being ignored. Her exit sparked a debate about the working hours in the industry, and she was ultimately replaced by actor Tripti Dimrii.