Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone will not be seen in the sequel to Telugu blockbuster Kalki 2898 AD, with producers assuring that they and the actress were unable to "find a partnership."
Vyjayanthi Movies, the production house that backed Nag Ashwin's directorial with Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan, revealed the news on Thursday in the form of a social media post on platform X. The statement gave a mention that even though the first film was a long shot, they were not able to agree for the sequel, which requires "commitment and much more."
"This is to officially announce that @deepikapadukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel of #Kalki2898AD. After careful consideration, we have decided to part ways. Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. And a film like @Kalki2898AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future works," the studio said.
Deepika, 39, has yet to comment on her exit from the franchise in public.
Kalki 2898 AD, which came out in June 2024, was based on Hindu texts and introduced the Kalki Cinematic Universe. It was set in a post-apocalyptic future and chronicled a group of people trying to safeguard a woman bearing Lord Vishnu's 10th and last avatar, Kalki, from an evil supreme god-king named Yaskin.
The film starred Deepika as Sumathi aka SUM-80, Prabhas as Bhairava/Karna, Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwatthama, and Kamal Haasan as Supreme Yaskin. It went on to gross over ₹1000 crore worldwide.
The announcement of her departure is months after rumors of her quitting Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit, which is another project starring Prabhas. Though her presence in Spirit was never confirmed, rumors in May indicated she was troubled by some sections of the script, wanted an 8-hour day, and had disagreement on pay.
Her alleged exit from Spirit had created buzz across the industry regarding flexible working hours for thespians. Finally, actress Tripti Dimri, who appeared in Vanga's 2023 blockbuster Animal, was signed on as the female lead against Prabhas.
Deepika was last spotted in Rohit Shetty's Singham Again. Her next release is an untitled project by Atlee, director of Jawan, in which she will co-star with Telugu superstar Allu Arjun.
Read also| Bigg Boss 19: Nagma Mirajkar accuses Amaal Mallik of playing the “dirtiest game”
