Amid swirling rumours and social media speculation, it’s now confirmed: Deepika Padukone is not walking away from ‘Kalki 2’. Recent chatter suggesting the actress was dropped from Nag Ashwin’s much-anticipated sequel due to alleged tension with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has been firmly denied by those close to the project.

No rift, no exit

Despite claims hinting at a supposed falling out between Deepika and the team behind ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, insiders have clarified that there is absolutely no truth to the narrative.

According to sources, the rumours are “completely baseless.” In fact, the sequel hasn’t even entered production yet and therefore no casting decisions have been made, and the storyline is still under development.

“There’s been no shoot, no actor confirmations, and definitely no fallout,” the insider added, firmly putting the speculation to rest.

The ‘Spirit’ confusion

The buzz around Deepika’s alleged exit from Kalki 2 may have been fuelled by unrelated reports involving a separate project, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Spirit’.

According to earlier reports, Deepika was said to have exited that film following disagreements over working hours, remuneration, and profit-sharing. Soon after, actress Triptii Dimri was brought on board as the new lead. 

Later, Vanga’s cryptic social media post only added to the intrigue.

However, sources suggest that conflating the ‘Spirit’ issue with ‘Kalki 2’ is misleading, as the two projects are entirely separate and involve different creative teams.

Still part of the epic

‘Kalki 2’ is the planned follow-up to Nag Ashwin’s futuristic epic ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, which starred Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Deepika Padukone. The first film generated massive hype and commercial success, and its sequel is one of the most eagerly awaited productions in the Indian film landscape.