Contrary to speculative reports doing the rounds, Deepika Padukone has not been dropped from Kalki 2 due to any "friction on sets" with co-star Prabhas or the film's team. In fact, sources close to the development have categorically denied the claims. "Absolutely false," they told NDTV.
To set the record straight: Kalki 2 is still in pre-production and hasn't gone on floors yet, and conversations with actors are yet to begin, which makes the idea of any "on-set friction" between Deepika and the team entirely baseless. No shoot, no sets, no interaction and therefore, no question of a fallout.
The rumour seems to have gained momentum in the wake of Deepika reportedly stepping away from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit, allegedly because she wanted to work fixed 8-hour shifts.
Vanga's vague, cryptic tweets soon after, where he criticised actors for "wanting luxury", were interpreted as veiled digs at Deepika. When Triptii Dimri was cast as the lead in Spirit shortly after, the Internet was quick to draw conclusions.
Now, this unverified narrative appears to have spilt over into Kalki 2, falsely painting a picture of professional issues between Deepika and the makers.
However, sources confirm that no casting decisions have been made for Kalki 2 because the film is not ready to move forward yet. "They haven't even approached actors because it's still in the pre-production stage", one insider revealed.