Deepika didn’t stay silent for long. While she never addressed the controversy head-on, her recent appearance at a glitzy Cartier event said enough.
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What was shaping up to be one of Bollywood’s most anticipated collaborations—Deepika Padukone starring in next action-packed thriller by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, ‘Spirit’—has now turned into a full-blown drama.
The actress has officially exited the film, and the aftermath has played out like a movie itself: social media jabs, cryptic interviews, and some not-so-subtle digs.
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Let’s rewind.
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Deepika Padukone, fresh off her larger-than-life role in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, was rumored to be teaming up again with co-star Prabhas for ‘Spirit’, intense cop drama by Sandeep Reddy Vanga.
But before things could progress, whispers of creative clashes began to float around. Then came the reports: Deepika was out. Triptii Dimri, riding high on the success of ‘Animal’, was in.
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Soon after, the rumor mill exploded with behind-the-scenes drama. According to sources cited by Bollywood Hungama, Deepika’s team had made some serious demands: limiting her shoot time to 8 hours a day and requiring additional pay if filming stretched beyond 100 days. These terms allegedly didn’t sit well with the makers, and the collaboration fizzled out.
What followed was a virtual mic drop from Vanga.
On May 26, the ‘Animal’ director took to X (formerly Twitter) with a fiery message clearly aimed at someone—without naming names. But it didn’t take a detective to figure out who he meant.
“There is an unsaid NDA between us,” he wrote, suggesting that the story he narrated had been leaked. “You’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the person that you are.” He even questioned the actor’s sense of feminism, asking, “Is this what your feminism stands for?”
And just to drive the point home, he ended his post with a rather colorful Hindi proverb: “Khundak mein billi khamba noche,” which loosely translates to “A cat scratches a pole out of frustration.”
But Deepika didn’t stay silent for long. While she never addressed the controversy head-on, her recent appearance at a glitzy Cartier event said enough.
In a casual behind-the-scenes moment, Deepika offered what felt like a perfectly timed counter-narrative. “What keeps me balanced is being truthful and authentic,” she said. “Whenever I face complicated or difficult situations, listening to my inner voice and standing by my decisions gives me peace.”
Translation? She’s unfazed and standing by her choice to walk away.
In another interview with ‘Harper’s Bazaar’, she doubled down on the sentiment. “I just listen to my gut… when you shut out the noise, the answers are always there,” she said, adding that working with people who bring joy is her top priority.
So, where does that leave us?
Triptii Dimri has now stepped in as the female lead opposite Prabhas in ‘Spirit’, and the project is moving ahead full steam.
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