deepika-padukone-dropped-from-kalki-2898-ad-sequel

After being dropped from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Spirit’, Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has now been left out of another Prabhas film, the sequel to the 2024 hit ‘Kalki 2898 AD’.

 

The makers of the film announced on Thursday that Padukone will not be returning for the sequel of Telugu blockbuster, stressing that the project requires "commitment and much more".

 

Vyjayanthi Movies, which produced the Nag Ashwin-directed film, also starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan, shared the news in a post on social media platform X.

 

The studio said the producers and the actor were unable to work out a collaboration for the project.

 

"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 works," the studio said.

 

Also read: Malaika embraces her ‘boldness’

 

The 39-year-old actor has not yet commented on her exit from the franchise.

 

Inspired by Hindu scriptures, "Kalki 2898 AD" was released in June 2024 and earned over Rs 1000 crore at the global box office.

 

The development comes months after there were reports of Deepika's exit from filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga's "Spirit", also headlined by Prabhas.

 

In May, there were several reports which claimed that Deepika had raised concerns about certain sequences in the film’s script and had requested an 8-hour workday. There were also differences related to her remuneration for the project.

 

Her reported exit from "Spirit" had also led to a debate about flexible working hours for actors in the film industry.

 

The makers of "Spirit" later cast actor Tripti Dimri, who starred in Vanga's 2023 blockbuster movie "Animal", as the leading lady opposite Prabhas.

 

Deepika was most recently seen in filmmaker Rohit Shetty's "Singham Again". Her next project is an untitled project from "Jawan" director Atlee. In the movie, she will feature alongside Telugu superstar Allu Arjun.