Bollywood has had its share of off-camera drama, but the current rift between director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and actor Deepika Padukone stunned fans as much as it split the industry. The controversy, which started brewing discreetly behind closed doors, has now spilled into the public eye in the form of open charges, leaked news, and a trenchant retort by the filmmaker himself.
It all started with what was billed to be one of the most powerful woman roles ever penned by Sandeep Reddy Vanga—the director of Arjun Reddy and Animal. When word came that Deepika Padukone had signed up the woman lead in his new project Spirit, expectations skyrocketed. The media called it a role that might subvert stereotypes, and insiders said Deepika was greatly impressed with the script and her arc. It all seemed promising back then. But what came next transformed the high-profile working relationship into a public drama controversy.
From Excitement to Exit: What Went Wrong
The relationship also allegedly turned sour when Deepika reportedly made a string of unprecedented demands. Those in the know within the project confirmed that she demanded 8-hour working days, which worked out to six hours in reality after factoring in breaks and delays. She also complained about speaking Telugu—a fundamental aspect of the film, given that it’s being created as a pan-Indian film with Telugu origin.
But the biggest shocker was in the form of financial demands. Deepika apparently made a huge fee of ₹30–40 crore and a profit-sharing demand. Although leading heroines are known to make sizeable demands, sources indicate that the magnitude and scale of the demands were out of sync with the creative tone and cost of the project.
Vanga’s crew, after deliberation, proceeded without her, determining that her conditions were untenable and that they created a disturbance in the filmmaking process.
PR Games and Public Narratives
What could have been a straightforward matter of creative differences soon blew into full-blown media hysteria. Deepika’s PR team purportedly went into overdrive, spinning stories that were meant to make the public sympathetic towards her. Emotional overtones were highlighted, casting Deepika as a victim of the patriarchal film industry. This strategy soon started backfiring when the same PR network began denigrating the film’s new female lead—Tripti Dimri.
Tripti, who had become a national sensation with her role in Animal, was formally announced to play the female lead in Spirit. Overnight, stories began changing. The same role which was earlier hailed as bold, significant, and career-defining when Deepika was attached to it was now being tagged “A-rated” and “too bold” by the same media outlets. Parts of the script were even leaked, allegedly by sources close to Deepika’s camp, in an attempt to discredit both the role and Tripti’s casting.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga Fires Back
Amid the growing tension and toxic narratives, Sandeep Reddy Vanga finally broke his silence. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Vanga delivered a brutally honest response to the entire situation:
“When I tell a story to an actor, I put 100% trust. There is an unspoken NDA between us. But by doing that, You’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the individual that you are.”
His tweet didn’t end there. Vanga spoke out against the reported attempts to embarrass a younger actor and kill a project that had taken him years to conceptualize. His message resonated with many, particularly when he added:
“Subordinating a Younger actor and removing my story? Is that what your feminism is about? As a director, I invested years of sweat & blood into my work & for me, cinema means the world. You didn’t understand. You will never understand. You will never get it.”
He finished the tweet with a stinging proverb which summed up the essence of his ire:
“Aisa karo. Agli baar poori kahani bolna. kyunki mujhe jarra bhi farak nahi padtha. #dirtyPRgames
I like this kahawath very much 🙂 खुंदक में बिल्ली खंबा नोचे !”
This outburst of emotion not only revealed Vanga’s frustration but also betrayed the emotional cost that such manipulative PR games can exact from artists.
Industry Divided, Fans React
The moment the post became viral, the film fraternity and fan base went into overdrive with opinions. Some were surprised that they sympathized with Deepika, claiming she is fully within her rights to place conditions on her participation, considering the position she has held in the industry. Others were loyal to Vanga, praising him for protesting hypocrisy and perceived attempts to sabotage another artist’s career.
While all this was going on, Tripti Dimri has been keeping quiet during the storm, concentrating on her performance and preparation. Sources in the industry tell us that Vanga and crew have now gone double-in for her, making Spirit a landmark project not only for the director but for Tripti too.
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Final Thoughts: The Cost of Creative Conflicts
What started out as a thrilling collaboration turned into a bitter feud that exposed some uncomfortable realities about Bollywood’s backstage machinery. The Rajamouli–Deepika Padukone controversy comes to mind while reminding us about the delicate nature of creative collaborations in high-risk cinema.
While both sides have their opinions, the public backstabbing, purported sabotage of a young actor, and media narrative manipulation benefit no one—certainly not the audience clamoring for authentic, engaging cinema. With Spirit yet to be completed, everyone now waits with bated breath for Tripti Dimri and Sandeep Reddy Vanga to make a movie that validates quality and dedication trumps politics and vanity.
The industry moves fast, but some lessons—like respecting creative integrity—should never be forgotten.
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