May 23, 2025 - For several years, there has been talk about the high salaries of Bollywood stars. Many producers and directors, including Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap, have openly said that Hindi cinema is struggling because of the rising fees of actors. Once again, Bollywood is facing a salary controversy. This time, the issue is about Deepika Padukone's fees. According to the Hindustan Times, the actress has been dropped from a film for asking for high payment.

Deepika and Prabhas had worked together in the film Kalki 2898 AD. It was earlier said that they would team up again in Spirit, a film to be made by Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga.

However, the latest news is that Deepika is no longer a part of this film. According to reports, director Vanga has dropped her from the project.

Several Indian media outlets reported that Deepika made some strict demands. She asked for huge fees and also a big share in the film's profits and said she would work only eight hours a day. Things became more difficult when she refused to dub her dialogues in Telugu.

The producers had no issue with Deepika’s fees which was said to be Rs 20 crore. However, they could not agree to her other conditions. This reportedly made the director replace her. He is now searching for a new actress for the role.

Earlier, Pinkvilla had reported that the shooting was delayed because of Deepika's pregnancy. The film was supposed to begin by the end of 2024. After becoming a mother, Deepika wanted to change her working style. She refused to sign the contract unless her terms were accepted.

So far, there has been no official comment from either Deepika or director Vanga regarding this matter.