Pranay Reddy Vanga Takes Aim At Deepika Padukone Over Spirit Exit Claims Profit Demand And Leaked Details

The controversy surrounding Deepika Padukone’s exit from Spirit has found a fresh spark, and this time the allegations are coming directly from producer Pranay Reddy Vanga. In a recent interview with NTV, Pranay opened up about the negotiations with Deepika and offered a far more detailed version of why the makers eventually decided to move on. His comments touch upon remuneration, working hours, profit-sharing and, most seriously, an allegation that confidential discussions about the film were leaked.

According to Pranay, the decision was not based on one isolated disagreement. He said remuneration and timing were among the primary sticking points, while suggesting that there were “some other reasons” as well. “The reason is the same as what was already mentioned. One was remuneration, the second was timing. Apart from that, there are some other reasons too,” he said, making it clear that the negotiations had reportedly become complicated on multiple fronts.

But it was his claim regarding the financial terms that has put the controversy back in the spotlight. Pranay alleged that Deepika did not simply seek a higher remuneration but demanded a share of the film’s profits. According to him, the figure discussed was 10 percent of the film’s profits. “She demanded 10 percent from the film’s profit. Soon after, everything went overboard. See, she can ask for anything. If we are willing to give, we can give. But the economics (budget) should also work out for us. We thought that it was not working. This is why we thought of other options,” he said.

That statement essentially boils the dispute down to a question of economics. For a film as ambitious as Spirit, the producers have to balance star remuneration against the overall production budget and commercial expectations. Pranay’s version suggests that the makers ultimately concluded that the financial arrangement being sought simply did not make sense for their model, leading them to explore alternatives rather than stretch the project’s economics beyond their comfort zone.

However, the producer did not stop at money. His most pointed allegation concerned the alleged disclosure of conversations that, according to him, were supposed to remain private. Pranay claimed that the Spirit team had discussed the story and character with Deepika during the negotiations and expected those conversations to remain confidential. He alleged that details subsequently became public after the makers started considering other options.

“We discussed the story and character with her. Things discussed internally should not be revealed but she leaked all of them. That is why we are disturbed,” Pranay said. It is a particularly serious accusation because it moves the disagreement beyond the usual Bollywood argument over dates and fees and into the territory of professional confidentiality. If true, it would naturally raise questions about trust between an actor and a production team. At the same time, this remains Pranay Reddy Vanga’s allegation and has not been independently established.

Deepika’s exit from Spirit had already generated intense speculation, with reports and discussions around her remuneration, working conditions and scheduling becoming a major talking point. Pranay’s latest remarks now provide the production side’s version of the dispute, but they do not automatically settle what happened behind closed doors. In an industry where negotiations frequently involve enormous sums of money and complicated schedules, the complete picture often remains known only to the people sitting across the table.

What makes the situation particularly interesting is that Spirit is not an ordinary project. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and headlined by Prabhas, the film has been positioned as one of the major upcoming Telugu projects with enormous commercial expectations. Any disagreement involving a major star and a production team therefore becomes bigger than a routine casting change, especially when allegations about money and confidentiality enter the conversation.

For now, Pranay has put his version firmly on record. His comments portray the exit as the result of negotiations that, in his view, crossed the point where the project's economics and the working relationship could comfortably continue. Deepika has not, in the material provided here, offered a response to these latest allegations. Until both sides have been heard, the controversy should be treated as a disputed account rather than an established fact.

What is undeniable is that the Spirit casting saga has become a story of its own. A project built around Prabhas and Sandeep Reddy Vanga already carries massive expectations; the departure of a leading actress, followed by claims of profit demands and alleged leaks of confidential discussions, only adds another layer of intrigue. Now the question is not merely who will eventually star opposite Prabhas, but whether the storm surrounding the casting will eventually become as talked-about as the film itself.