The casting drama surrounding Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit has resurfaced after months. Deepika Padukone has now subtly responded through social media by liking a viral post that calls out “male ego” and “misogyny” in the industry.

King actress hits out at backlash

“Judging by the meltdown, you would think she asked for the entire film and Vanga estate. Sounds like we have a full-blown male-ego crisis on our hands. A woman rejected a deal, and misogyny couldn’t handle a woman’s ‘no’,” the post reads. So, Deepika is essentially in agreement with the post because it suggests that the backlash stems from a woman simply saying no to a deal. It criticizes the reaction to her departure from negotiations. This move comes right after producer Pranay Reddy Vanga shared details about why talks broke down.

Producer’s remarks restarted the row

Pranay, the other day, revealed that Sandeep wanted Deepika for the project. Discussions continued for nearly eighteen months. Her box-office status gave her strong leverage during negotiations. However, issues related to remuneration and scheduling conflicts eventually halted the deal. As one of the producers of Spirit, he noted that the final decision to move on rested with Sandeep. “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. Once we started looking for other options, they started leaking everything,” Pranay told NTV, a Telugu TV channel. He also clarified that the dispute was not simply over a few crores of additional remuneration.

By liking a commentary that frames the situation as a refusal to accept a woman’s boundary, Deepika has fuelled online debate. Neither Deepika nor the filmmakers have issued an official statement beyond these public hints.

After Deepika’s exit from the project, Tripti Dimiri came onboard for Prabhas starrer Spirit.

Also Read: Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Brother Claims Deepika Padukone Demanded 10% of Spirit’s Profits

In October 2025, when the promo for the movie Spirit came out on Prabhas’ birthday, the line “India’s biggest superstar Prabhas” set off a fandom war on social media. It wasn’t a formal statement, but it was evident that the fans of a Hindi superstars were offended.

Pranay Reddy Vanga (producer and brother of director Sandeep Reddy Vanga), while promoting a Telugu movie on Friday, said that it’s indeed true that they were “hurt”. “Because a star from the south was called that, many there were naturally hurt. It doesn’t matter, though. It’s one’s perception. We are entitled to project our hero the way we deem fit,” Pranay shared.

Prabhas’ consent was taken

The title India’s biggest superstar Prabhas was used only after Prabhas said okay to the proposal by the Kabir Singh director. Prabhas’ reaction when told about the tag was essentially “Mee Ishtam Darling” (“As you wish, Darling”).

It must be noted that there wasn’t a single unified Bollywood response. No major Hindi-film star or official body weighed in publicly on the online fandom war. It was mostly a fan-driven spat, amplified further because Spirit was already carrying controversy from Deepika Padukone’s exit from the project and director Vanga’s public comments about her. The title was widely read as a direct jab at the standing of a Bollywood superstar. His fanbase reacted with visible anger online.

Ranbir was reluctant to be given a tag

He also revealed that Ranbir Kapoor was very reluctant for the tag “Superstar” to be given to him. “He told Sandeep that his grandfather and father never used such a tag. He told us there is no such trend in Bollywood. Eventually, he asked Sandeep to take a final call,” Pranay added.

Prabhas is the only pan-Indian cinema star who is doing three movies simultaneously. Fauzi, Spirit and Kalki 2 are under production. “He is currently shooting for Fauzi. He will rejoin Spirit a few days from now,” Pranay revealed.

Also Read: Salman Khan Vs Prabhas: Is a Box-office Clash Now Inevitable?

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