Deepika Padukone and Vyjayanthi Movies part ways over seven hour workday and fee demands for 'Kalki 2898 AD' sequel

Highlights:

• Vyjayanthi Movies announced Deepika will not return for the Kalki sequel.
• The official statement hinted at a lack of partnership and commitment.
• Reports claim a 25 per cent fee hike and strict seven hour workday were key reasons.
• This follows her earlier exit from Prabhas's film Spirit.

Deepika Padukone has been officially dropped from the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster Kalki 2898 AD. Production house Vyjayanthi Movies released a statement confirming the departure, which pointedly mentioned the project requires total commitment. This move comes months after the actor exited another major Prabhas led venture, Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit, sparking debates about working protocols in the industry.

Deepika Padukone leaves the highly anticipated Kalki 2898 AD sequel amid reports of contract disputes Instagram/kalki2898ad/Getty Images

What happened with Deepika Padukone and the Kalki sequel?

Let's be direct. The producers, Vyjayanthi Movies, put out a tweet. It was formal but had a real edge to it. They said they had “parted ways” with Deepika after being “unable to find a partnership.” Then the kicker: “a film like Kalki 2898 AD deserves that commitment and much more.” That is not your standard, polite “scheduling conflicts” excuse. It is a bold, almost salty way to announce a lead actor’s exit, especially one whose character was so central to the first film's plot.

Why was Deepika Padukone removed from Kalki 2?

So the official line is about commitment. But what does that actually mean? According to reports from outlets like Bollywood Hungama, it boils down to two concrete demands. First, a 25 per cent fee increase from what she was paid for the first instalment. Second, and perhaps more critically, she insisted on a seven hour workday.

For a VFX heavy epic like Kalki, that is a massive ask. Long hours are often the norm to manage complex schedules and expensive set rentals. The reports also mention she allegedly demanded five star accommodation for her 25 person entourage. The producers apparently tried to negotiate, even offering a luxury vanity in exchange for longer hours, but found her team unwilling to budge. Prabhas, notably, did not ask for a raise.

How did fans react to the Kalki 2898 AD sequel news?

Chaos, basically. Social media exploded. Many fans are devastated, arguing that Deepika was Kalki’s emotional core and that her performance as Sumathi is irreplaceable. “I can't imagine any other actress,” wrote one fan. Others are furious at the producers’ tone, calling the announcement “unprofessional” and “needlessly abrasive.”

But it is not unanimous. Some commentators support the producers, suggesting large scale filmmaking requires flexibility and questioning the feasibility of such strict demands. And of course, others just started fan casting replacements. The whole thing has become a major flashpoint.

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What does this mean for Deepika Padukone's upcoming projects?

You have to look at the pattern, right? First, she walked away from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit earlier this year, a move that led to a very public, thinly veiled criticism from the director about “dirty PR games.” Now this. It signals a major shift in how she is choosing to work post motherhood.

She is prioritising control over her time, which is her absolute right, but it clearly clashes with the traditional demands of Indian mega productions. She is still attached to the huge Atlee Allu Arjun project, so it is not like her career is slowing down. But it is definitely taking a different, more selective path. She is rewriting the rules, and the industry is watching to see how it plays out.