Hours after the production house Vyjayanthi Movies confirmed Deepika Padukone's exit from the Kalki 2898 AD sequel, director Nag Ashwin shared a cryptic note on his Instagram Stories. Sharing a fan edit of Krishna's entry from Kalki 2898 AD, Nag Ashwin wrote, "You can't change what happened, but you can choose what happens next." The note quickly went viral, raising eyebrows on the Internet over whether it was his veiled response to Deepika's exit.
Why Was Deepika Padukone Dropped From the Kalki Sequel?
A few months ago, an unconfirmed report claimed that Deepika Padukone would not be a part of the Kalki sequel. After months of speculation, the makers Vyjayanthi Movies confirmed the report in an X post on Thursday (September 18).
The official note on X read: "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."
"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," the note further added.
The post reminded the Internet of a similar incident in May, when Deepika Padukone walked out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit over her 8-hour work demand after embracing motherhood last year, profit-sharing clauses, and her unwillingness to deliver dialogues in Telugu.
This time, apart from a fee hike of Rs 25 crore, Deepika was accused of demanding heavy entourage costs for her 25-person crew who accompany her on set.
"Deepika Padukone wanted a 25 percent increase in her acting fee compared to what she earned for the first part of the film. Additionally, she insisted on limiting her daily shooting schedule to a 7-hour shift. The producers offered her the convenience of a luxury vanity for rest periods in exchange for longer working hours, but she declined. She wanted 5-star stays for her 25-person crew. There were just too many demands. This raised concerns among producers who questioned why they should bear additional costs beyond the actor's fees," a source told NDTV.
Deepika Padukone is yet to respond to these allegations.
About Kalki 2898 AD
In the first installment of the Kalki franchise, Deepika Padukone played a pregnant woman called Sumathi. The film boasts of a mega cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, and Disha Patani. Mounted on a whopping budget of Rs 600 crore, the film created havoc at the box office with collections exceeding Rs 1000 crore.