Days after the production house Vyjayanthi Movies confirmed Deepika Padukone's exit from the Kalki 2898 AD sequel, a new report claimed that the actress had already shot for 20 days before making her exit.
A News18 report claimed, "Deepika Padukone's demand for a pay hike—significantly higher than 25%—stemmed from her conviction that she is irreplaceable. The real turning point lay in how her management approached the negotiations. Deepika was fully aware of the sequel and the strong, performance-driven role created for her. In fact, she had already filmed nearly 20 days of Part 2 while shooting Part 1—something director Nag Ashwin himself confirmed in several media interactions. Her schedule for the next phase was always meant to be decided mutually, so the claim of a date clash holds no merit," the insider told us.
NDTV has reached out to the production house Vyjayanthi Movies for a comment on the newly surfaced report.
Why Was Deepika Padukone Dropped From the Kalki Sequel?
A few months ago, an unconfirmed report claimed that Deepika Padukone would not be 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 eight-hour work demand after embracing motherhood last year, profit-sharing clauses, and her unwillingness to deliver dialogues in Telugu.
Deepika Padukone's Response
Without addressing the buzz directly, Deepika Padukone shared a picture on her Instagram where two hands are seen interjoined. She informed fans that she has started shooting for Shah Rukh Khan's King.
Deepika Padukone wrote, "The very first lesson he taught me almost 18 years ago while filming Om Shanti Om was that the experience of making a movie, and the people you make it with, matter far more than its success. I couldn't agree more and have applied that learning to every decision I've made since. And that's probably why we're back making our 6th movie."
About Kalki 2898 AD
In the first instalment of the Kalki franchise, Deepika Padukone played a pregnant woman called Sumathi. The film boasts 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.