Spirit poster: A wounded alpha, a compliant heroine, the familiar Vanga-sized misogyny, has he made it his trademark?
As Sandeep Reddy Vanga unveiled the first-look poster of Spirit with Prabhas and Triptii Dimri, the conversation once again drifts back to a familiar discomfort: the ideology his imagery insists on selling.
‘The’ Sandeep Reddy Vanga film is, unsurprisingly, a Sandeep Reddy Vanga film. The same certainty applies to the way he designs his first-look posters, which function less as marketing tools and more as baiting rhetoric. Narrow the lens further and you’ll find that these posters aren’t really about the film at all; they are about his preferred deity: the tortured, worship-worthy male lead. As Vanga’s films are not simply character-driven; they are character-devoted. They orbit their men, kneel before them, build altars out of slow-motion rage and cigarette smoke, and ask the audience to watch in reverent silence. So when the clock struck midnight and the world stumbled into a new year, Vanga, true to form, ushered in 2026 with more machismo. The first-look poster of Spirit, his much-anticipated project starring Prabhas and Triptii Dimri, was released.
The film has been trailing controversy for months, largely due to reports of Deepika Padukone walking out after her eight-hour shift demand allegedly wasn’t met. Spirit is currently being shot and is said to be a cop drama, with Prabhas playing a man in uniform. When the poster dropped, social media did what it does best: sarcasm. Many thanked fate, the heavens, or basic labour rights for sparing Deepika from what looked suspiciously like another Vanga-shaped sermon. What also didn’t go unnoticed was how eerily familiar the poster felt. The iconography echoed Kabir Singh, Animal, and all that there is in Vanga’s cinematic mood board. To be fair, judging a film entirely by its poster is unfair. Posters are, after all, sometimes meant to be deceiving. But when a filmmaker has a long-standing fondness for incitement, one can’t help but feel a sense of deja vu.
The wounded alpha man
Front and centre is Prabhas: long hair, cigarette dangling (Animal, check), alcohol bottle in hand and glasses on (Kabir Singh, double check), his back bruised. He faces away from the camera, turned instead towards his beloved, played by Triptii Dimri. Knowing Vanga’s flair for symbolism, and metaphors, it’s hard not to read this as intentional. A hero with his back to the world, unconcerned with critics, judgment, or nuance.
The submissive woman, again
And then there’s the woman. Present only to absorb damage that isn’t hers. Vanga’s female leads tend to exist as emotional first-aid kits, there to tend wounds, soothe egos, carry pain. They are less characters than functions. Triptii’s presence in the poster follows the tradition: shy, nurturing, deferential. She is there to hold the man together, even as he unravels everyone else.
After Animal, (a film that seemed designed less as storytelling and more as retaliation), it has increasingly become difficult to give Vanga the benefit of doubt. As what could have been a meaningful exploration of generational violence was instead sacrificed at the altar of provocation. At this point, it feels less like coincidence and more like branding. Vanga has fashioned an entire creative identity around antagonising criticism and championing a particularly brittle version of masculinity. Because, misogyny isn’t a by-product of his cinema anymore; it’s very much the selling point.
Anas Arif is a prolific Entertainment Journalist and Cinematic Analyst at The Indian Express, where he specializes in the intersection of Indian pop culture, auteur-driven cinema, and industrial ethics. His writing is defined by a deep-seated commitment to documenting the evolving landscape of Indian entertainment through the lens of critical theory and narrative authorship.
Experience & Career
As a core member of The Indian Express entertainment vertical, Anas has cultivated a unique beat that prioritizes the "craft behind the celebrity." He has interviewed a vast spectrum of industry veterans, from blockbuster directors like Vijay Krishna Acharya, Sujoy Ghosh, Maneesh Sharma to experimental filmmakers and screenwriters like Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Varun Grover, Rajat Kapoor amongst several others. His career is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, where he frequently tackles the ethical implications of mainstream cinema and the socio-political subtext within popular media. He is also the host of the YouTube series Cult Comebacks, where he talks to filmmakers about movies that may not have succeeded initially but have, over time, gained a cult following. The show aims to explore films as works of art, rather than merely commercial ventures designed to earn box office revenue.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Anas's expertise lies in his ability to deconstruct cinematic works beyond surface-level reviews. His focus areas include:
Auteur Studies: Detailed retrospectives and analyses of filmmakers such as Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap, and Neeraj Ghaywan, often exploring their central philosophies and creative evolutions.
Cinematic Deconstruction: Examining technical and narrative choices, such as the use of aspect ratios in independent films (Sabar Bonda) or the structural rhythm of iconic soundtracks (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge).
Industrial & Social Ethics: Fearless critique of commercial blockbusters, particularly regarding the promotion of bigoted visions or the marginalization of communities in mainstream scripts.
Exclusive Long-form Interviews: Conducting high-level dialogues with actors and creators to uncover archival anecdotes and future-looking industry insights.
Authoritativeness & Trust
Anas Arif has established himself as a trusted voice by consistently moving away from standard PR-driven journalism. Whether he is interrogating the "mythology of Shah Rukh Khan" in modern sequels or providing a space for independent filmmakers to discuss the "arithmetic of karma," his work is rooted in objectivity and extensive research. Readers look to Anas for an educated viewpoint that treats entertainment not just as a commodity, but as a critical reflection of the country's collective conscience. ... Read More
First look poster of Spirit.
