After the official announcement of Deepika Padukone‘s exit from the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD, film director Naga Ashwin’s cryptic Instagram story has added fuel to the controversy surrounding the popular actress’s departure.
“You can’t change what happened, but you can choose what happens next,” the director wrote. A visual of the film accompanied the post, where Ashwin hints at the start of a fresh chapter with a new leading lady.
This came hours after Vyjayanthi Movies, the makers of the film, announced on X that Deepika would not be part of Kalki’s next installment.
There have been reports about the actress pressing for a seven-hour shift and a significant hike in her compensation. Sources also say the actress asked a five-star accommodation for her team comprising of 25 people. Her demands for a fixed shift reportedly also led to her ouster from director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s film Spirit.
“This is to officially announce that @deepikapadukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel of #Kalki2898AD. After careful consideration, we have decided to part ways,” read the note posted on Thursday, September 18.
“Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. And a film like @Kalki2898AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future projects,” it added, hinting commitment issues from the actress’s side.
What went wrong
Sources told Bollywood Hungama, that Deepika’s demand for a 25 percent rise in her acting fee didn’t go down well with the makers as this would have significantly raised the film’s budget. They were also not comfortable with the actor doing a fixed shift of seven hours, and offered her a luxury vanity for rest. However, Deepika didn’t agree to this.
Deepika wanted to shoot just for 7 hours: Sources
“Deepika Padukone demanded a 25 percent increment on the acting fees she was paid for the first part of the film. 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 was 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 of 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,” a source told Bollywood Hungama.
Demand for five-star hotels and reimbursement for food
“Deepika’s team is a big one with almost 25 people travelling with her on the sets. They demanded a five-star accommodation and reimbursement for food through the shoot for her entourage. Why should the producers pay for the stay and food of an actor, over and above the fees? This is an issue that a lot of Hindi producers also face,” the source added.
Deepika Padukone’s ouster from Sandeep Reddy Vanga is reported to be due to similar demands by the actress. A News18 report stated earlier that Deepika demanded Rs 25 crore for 35 days of shoot and a 10% profit share. She also expressed her unwillingness to deliver dialogues in Telugu.