The upcoming film Spirit has found itself in the middle of a heated controversy. Directed by Animal and Kabir Singh filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Prabhas, the film was initially announced with Deepika Padukone as the female lead. But things have changed. Deepika is no longer part of the project, and her replacement, Animal actress Triptii Dimri, has been officially confirmed.
What Actually Happened?
At first, everything looked perfect. Deepika Padukone joining the cast added even more star power to the film. But last week, reports came out that Deepika had left the project. Sources claimed that her team made several demands that caused issues.
According to reports, Deepika refused to shoot for more than six hours a day. Her agency also asked for changes in the contract. The main concern was that if the shoot went over 100 days, she should be paid extra for every additional day. There were also claims that she did not want to dub in Telugu. These reports led to headlines calling her demands unprofessional.
Soon after, the makers announced that Triptii Dimri had joined Spirit as the new female lead. Triptii, who worked with Vanga in Animal earlier, confirmed the news on Instagram and thanked the director for trusting her.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Strong Statement Online
Things got more intense after Pinkvilla published a report claiming that Spirit would be an A-rated action film. It also mentioned that the film would have bold scenes between the lead characters. Sandeep Reddy Vanga reacted strongly. He did not name anyone, but his message on X made it clear that he was upset.
He wrote, “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.”
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…
— Sandeep Reddy Vanga (@imvangasandeep) May 26, 2025
He ended his message with: “Aisa karo…. Agli baar poori kahani bolna… kyunki mujhe jarra bhi farak nahi padtha (Do this… next time, tell the whole story… because I don’t care at all).” He added, “Khundak mein billi khamba noche (A cat scratching a pole in the courtyard)” And used the hashtag #DirtyPRGames.
According to sources, Vanga wanted an actress comfortable with the original script. Triptii will play a doctor who falls in love with Prabhas’ character, who is a police officer. Spirit is backed by T-Series and Bhadrakali Pictures. The film is in pre-production and will go on floors in 2025.
