Adult Scenes Row? Director Vanga Aiming At Deepika Padukone

Photo: Instagram

India-West News Desk

MUMBAI – In the early hours of May 26, Spirit director Sandeep Reddy Vanga took to social media to post a strongly worded message criticizing actors who engage in “dirty PR games.” Without naming anyone directly, Vanga’s pointed comments have led social media users to believe he was referring to Deepika Padukone, who recently exited the film.

“When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith,” Vanga wrote. “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?”

His post appears to be in response to a Pinkvilla article, claiming that Deepika walked away from Spirit due to discomfort with certain ‘A-rated’ sequences. The director’s online remarks now suggest he believes this behind-the-scenes negotiation has been used unfairly to malign the film and elevate her public image at the expense of others.

The controversy took another turn with a new report by Telugu 360, revealing that Triptii Dimri—who has replaced Deepika as the female lead opposite Prabhas—is being paid approximately ₹4 crore for her role. This marks a substantial ₹16 crore difference compared to Deepika’s reported fee of ₹20 crore.

Balancing her career and new responsibilities as a mother, Deepika is said to be selectively trimming her work commitments, and her team may have found the director’s offer incompatible with those new priorities.

Triptii Dimri officially confirmed her role in Spirit on May 24 through a social media post featuring the film’s title card, which displayed her name in multiple Indian and international languages. This will be her second collaboration with Vanga after the commercially successful outing in Animal.