The controversy around Sandeep Reddy Vanga's next directorial Spirit refuses to die down. Days after reports claimed Deepika Padukone was "dropped" from the film over remuneration issues and "unprofessional" behaviour, Sandeep Reddy Vanga shared a social media post, indirectly taking a jibe at the actress over her dirty "PR games".
After Deepika Padukone's exit, Triptii Dimri was roped in for the film.
In an X post, Sandeep Reddy Vanga wrote Deepika Padukone had violated the Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as a part of her "dirtyPRgames". The Animal director also questioned Deepika's idea of "feminism".
Sandeep Reddy Vanga's angry post read, "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.
"Aisa karo.... Agli baar poori kahani bolna... kyunki mujhe jarra bhi farak nahi padtha. (Next time, please tell the whole story. Actually, I don't care)."
The filmmaker also added a hashtag #dirtyPRgames to his post.
On May 22, a source close to the development of Spirit told Bollywood Hungama, "Sandeep Reddy Vanga got the shock of his life when Deepika Padukone refused to shoot for more than 6 hours a day for Spirit. That's not all, the actress, via her agency, also started to demand an amendment to the contract. Their point of contention was simple - if the shoot extends beyond 100 days, Deepika will have to be paid extra for every single day of shoot beyond the commitment on paper."
On May 24, the director announced that Triptii Dimri, who first worked with him in 2023's Animal, joined the cast of Spirit as his "female lead".
The production on Spirit is yet to begin amid reports of several production delays. After wrapping up Spirit, Sandeep Reddy Vanga is expected to begin work on Animal Park, the sequel to Animal.
Also Read | Explained: The Sandeep Reddy Vanga Vs Deepika Padukone Feud Over Spirit, And Where Triptii Dimri Comes In