Deepika Padukone will not be a part of the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. After Vyjayanthi Movies, the film's production house, confirmed her exit in an official statement on X (formerly Twitter), new reports have emerged stating that the actress decided to call part ways with the team.
What's Happening
- An India Today report stated that Deepika's role as Sumathi aka SUM-80 was reportedly reduced to a cameo in the sequel, despite initial plans for the story to revolve around her character.
- The change allegedly shocked her team, who were preparing for a larger part in Kalki 2.
- Following this development, the actor decided to part ways.
Background
On Thursday, Vyjayanthi Movies issued a statement that 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."
At the same time, unconfirmed reports suggested that Deepika had demanded a 25 per cent salary hike, limited working hours, and specific accommodations for her crew. "Deepika Padukone wanted a 25 per cent 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.
This also drew parallels with her abrupt exit earlier this year from director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit, also starring Prabhas.
Deepika reportedly walked out of Spirit after her demands, including a Rs 20 crore fee, an 8-hour shift post motherhood, a profit-sharing settlement, and refusing to deliver dialogues in Telugu, fell through. Vanga did not take any names, but seemingly called her out on social media.
In May, the filmmaker lashed out at an unnamed actor for showing her "true colours" by violating an unsaid non-disclosure agreement and playing "dirty PR games." At the time, Animal actor Triptii Dimri stepped in for Deepika.
Deepika, who recently celebrated the first birthday of her daughter Dua with husband-actor Ranveer Singh, had spoken in an earlier interview about motherhood changing her priorities. "He turned around and said, 'Oh, looks like she's taking motherhood very seriously'. I don't know if that was a compliment or a jab. What does that mean, taking motherhood seriously? Yeah!" she had said, recounting a director's remark.
With her exit from the Kalki 2898 AD sequel, speculation has now shifted to who will replace her in the Nag Ashwin directorial. Deepika was last seen in Rohit Shetty's Singham Again (2024).
