Spirit's Producer Finally Explains the Deepika Padukone Exit, and Confirms Prakash Raj Is Out Too

The casting saga around Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit has stayed unresolved in one form or another for close to a year and a half, and the film's producer has now put more specifics on record than anyone connected to the project has offered so far. Pranay Reddy Vanga, the director's brother and the film's producer, said discussions with Deepika Padukone ran for roughly eighteen months before falling apart, and that money was only part of it: alongside her now widely reported request for an eight hour work day, he said she had also sought a ten percent share of the film's net profits.

Triptii Dimri, who worked with Vanga previously on Animal, stepped into the role once talks with Padukone ended. Vanga also used the opportunity to close out two other pieces of long-running casting speculation. Prakash Raj, at one point publicly linked to Spirit, will not be appearing in the film, Vanga confirmed, saying simply that it didn't work out between the actor and the team. Also addressed: persistent rumors that Korean star Ma Dong-seok, better known as Don Lee, would play the antagonist opposite Prabhas. The team did seriously consider him, Vanga said, but ultimately felt a Korean actor wouldn't sit naturally inside a story built around Hyderabad. A reported Chiranjeevi cameo was ruled out as well.

Triptii Dimri, who worked with Vanga previously on Animal, stepped into the role once talks with Padukone ended.

What's notable here is the tone: this wasn't framed as another round of the public sparring that defined the Padukone exit back when it first broke, just a producer closing out lingering questions ahead of the film's eventual release. Spirit is still slated as a pan-India release across eight languages, with Prabhas, Dimri, and Vivek Oberoi currently the confirmed leads.