Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Sep 24: Days after Vyjayanthi Movies confirmed Deepika Padukone’s exit from the Kalki 2898 AD sequel, reports have emerged that the actress had already shot for nearly 20 days before parting ways.
According to News18, Deepika’s demand for a pay hike—significantly higher than 25%—stemmed from her conviction of being irreplaceable. The insider noted, “Deepika was fully aware of the sequel and the strong, performance-driven role created for her. In fact, she had already filmed nearly 20 days of Part 2 while shooting Part 1. Her schedule for the next phase was always meant to be decided mutually, so the claim of a date clash holds no merit.” NDTV has reached out to Vyjayanthi Movies for a comment on the report.
Vyjayanthi Movies had officially announced Deepika’s exit on X on September 18, stating, “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. A film like @Kalki2898AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future projects.”
The post recalled a similar incident in May when Deepika had walked out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit over work-hour demands, profit-sharing clauses, and her reluctance to deliver dialogues in Telugu after embracing motherhood.
Without addressing the reports directly, Deepika shared an Instagram post revealing that she has started shooting for Shah Rukh Khan’s King. She wrote, “The very first lesson he taught me almost 18 years ago while filming Om Shanti Om was that the experience of making a movie, and the people you make it with, matter far more than its success. I couldn’t agree more and have applied that learning to every decision I’ve made since. And that’s probably why we’re back making our 6th movie.”
In the first Kalki film, Deepika played a pregnant woman named Sumathi. The movie featured a mega cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, and Disha Patani. Mounted on a reported budget of Rs 600 crore, the film grossed over Rs 1,000 crore at the box office.