Two of the country's biggest stars were reportedly set to collaborate with a filmmaker, infamous for his political incorrectness but equally trusted with his 'animalistic' instinct when it comes to hitting the jackpot at the box office.
Deepika Padukone, Prabhas and director Sandeep Reddy Vanga seem like a unlikely trio to come together for Spirit because each of them represent a different kind of cinema and filmmaking sensibilities.
And, yet it appeared to be a winning combination, precisely because of the acclaim, popularity, and mass reach put together, at least on paper. Perhaps it was.
What Happened
- In a recent interview to Marie Claire, Deepika Padukone spoke about how a filmmaker said she was "taking motherhood very seriously" when he asked her to meet him.
- “I don't know if [work] will be what it used to be before I had a baby, and I don't even know if I want to be that way…is [this] my new routine and schedule? Let's see how that evolves... 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 said.
- Deepika Padukone, true to her style, never took names but rumours mills started working overtime to find out who she could be talking about.
- A few days later, a Bollywood Hungama report emerged that Deepika Padukone had quit Spirit over remuneration and work-life balance issues as well as her unwillingness to dub for the film's Telugu version.
- Soon, Sandeep Reddy Vanga officially announced that he had chosen his Animal actor Triptii Dimri as his female lead for Spirit.
When The Vanga Vs Deepika Feud (Almost) Became Official Online
After the big announcement, the filmmaker went to social media and took an angry jibe at an unnamed senior actor for playing "dirty PR games" and breaking an unsaid non-disclosure agreement (NDA) regarding the story of Spirit.
"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. (Let's do one thing... next time tell the whole story... because I don't even care a bit) #dirtyPRgames," Vanga wrote on X.
Many believe Deepika Padukone hit back at Sandeep Reddy Vanga's supposed dig at her in an interview with Vogue Arabia on the sidelines of a presentation of Cartier's High Jewelry collection 'En quilibre' in Stockholm, Sweden.
"Whenever I'm faced with complicated or difficult situations, to be able to listen to my inner voice and just stand by decisions that really give me a lot of peace is when I feel most in equilibrium," she said.
What Is Spirit About?
The film is dubbed as a cop action drama, led by Baahubali star Prabhas. The project was announced in 2021 with Bhushan Kumar of T-Series and Pranay Reddy Vanga of Bhadrakali Pictures as producers.
A recent report in Pinkvilla stated that the heroine's character in Spirit is the "most well-written female role in the world of Sandeep Reddy Vanga".
"Deepika was truly impressed by the depth and detail of her character and the script. She's excited to work with Vanga for the first time," the website reported, quoting an anonymous source.
Reports also said that Spirit would have "bold sequences" and would aim for an 'A' rating with the Central Board of Film Certification.
In March, there was speculation online with social media users alleging that the story of Spirit had similarities to the Tamil film Theri (2016).
In A Nutshell
Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Deepika Padukone got into tussle over Spirit offline. The director then took the feud to X just after announcing that he had chosen Triptii Dimri, the breakout star of his 2023 film Animal, as his official female lead. Deepika Padukone seemingly responded to the filmmaker's jibe through international press.
The biggest winner in this feud? Triptii Dimri. She will reportedly walk away with Rs 6 crore as Spirit fees, claimed to be her highest paycheque.