‘Is this what your feminism stands for?’ Sandeep Vanga’s angry post, days after Deepika Padukone quit his film, sparks a row

Days after Deepika Padukone was dropped from the upcoming film Spirit, filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga has shared a post on X, calling out a recent collaborator over their “dirty PR games”, thus starting a wave of speculation and controversy. The remarks come in the wake of her departure from Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit, which stars Prabhas in the lead role.

On Monday evening, Vanga took to his official X account to express his displeasure in a cryptic message. While he refrained from naming anyone directly, his post strongly suggested discontent with an actor he recently collaborated with, widely presumed to be Padukone.

“When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, You’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the person that you are…Putting down a Younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for? As a filmmaker, I put years of hard work behind my craft & for me, filmmaking is everything. You didn’t get it. You won’t get it. You will never get it,” Vanga wrote in his post.

He followed this statement with a pointed Hindi remark, where he said, “Aisa karo…. Agli baar poori kahani bolna… kyunki mujhe jarra bhi farak nahi padtha. #dirtyPRgames. I like this kahawath very much. खुंदक में बिल्ली खंबा नोचे!”

Check out the tweet here:

The timing of the filmmaker’s comments coincides with the reports that Padukone has been dropped from Spirit. Industry sources suggest the decision stemmed from creative and contractual differences. Padukone, who recently became a mother, is said to be aiming for a more balanced work schedule.

Here’s what happened between Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone’s unexpected departure from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, a high-profile action thriller starring Prabhas, ignited widespread conversation within the film industry and among fans. Initially set to be her second Telugu-language, pan-India collaboration with Prabhas after Kalki 2898 AD, Padukone’s exit has now become the talk of the town and the subject of intense speculations.

According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, the production began to face complications when Padukone’s team allegedly requested that she work no more than six hours per day on set. A source cited in the report explained, “Sandeep Reddy Vanga got the shock of his life when Deepika Padukone refused to shoot for more than six hours a day for Spirit. That’s not all—the actress, via her agency, also began to demand amendments to the contract. Their main contention was simple: if the shoot extended beyond 100 days, Deepika would need to be paid extra for every single day beyond the agreed schedule.”

Unverified reports further fueled the controversy, with some alleging that Padukone was not willing to dub her dialogues in Telugu. This detail was widely circulated online but there wasn’t any official confirmation.

Amid all this, sources close to Deepika dismissed the criticisms and the reports. A source speaking to Hindustan Times, stated that the actress’s conditions were “in line with her stardom and status of a new mother.” The source emphasised that Padukone was attempting to strike a balance between her career and caring for her infant daughter, Dua.

The plot of Spirit leaked

The situation escalated further when Pinkvilla published what it claimed was an overview of Spirit’s plot, revealing that the film was an A-rated thriller featuring Prabhas as a police officer. The article mentioned that there were “bold scenes” between the lead pair, suggesting that the narrative may include intimate sequences that push limits.

Shortly after the report surfaced, Vanga posted the angry note on X. Even though he did not take names, many believe the tweet was aimed at Padukone.

Following the post, there have been sharply divided public opinion. Some social media users sided with Vanga, criticising Padukone for allegedly disclosing confidential plot details and undermining Dimri’s casting. On the other hand, another section of the internet has called out the Spirit production team for allegedly framing Padukone’s reasonable professional boundaries as misconduct.

Had Deepika done the film, Spirit would have marked her second on-screen collaboration with Prabhas, following the much-anticipated Kalki 2898 AD.

In the wake of Padukone’s exit, actress Triptii Dimri has officially been announced as the new female lead of Spirit. On Saturday, Dimri confirmed the news through a social media post, sharing an image of the film’s title card featuring her name in multiple Indian and international languages.

“Still sinking in… So grateful to be trusted with this journey. Thank you @sandeepreddy.vanga… Honoured to be a part of your vision,” she wrote, expressing both her excitement and appreciation for the opportunity.

Vanga also welcomed Dimri to his film with a post that said, “The female lead for my film is now official :-)”