# Deepika exit: profit share demand, script leak claims surface

2026-08-20T20:47:46+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 4 independent outlets

Producer Pranay Reddy Vanga has said Deepika Padukone's exit from Prabhas-starrer Spirit was triggered by her demand for a 10% share of net profits, not just working hours as previously reported. He told NTV that after a year of discussions, Deepika's team sought the profit share and differences over the schedule became unmanageable, leading director Sandeep Reddy Vanga to replace her. Vanga also claimed that after Padukone's departure, confidential details about the script and her character were allegedly leaked through her PR team, which upset Sandeep. He confirmed that South Korean star Don Lee and Chiranjeevi are not part of the film, while Prakash Raj has exited. Padukone has not publicly confirmed the profit-share claim. Triptii Dimri will play the female lead opposite Prabhas. Spirit, featuring Prabhas as a cop, is slated for a March 2027 release.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All four sources report producer Pranay Reddy Vanga's account that Deepika Padukone demanded a 10% profit share and that Sandeep Reddy Vanga removed her after alleged leaks. Telugu360.com adds the crucial caveat that Deepika has never confirmed this, framing the claim as "the Spirit team's version." Greatandhra.com and m9.news relay the profit-share and leak allegations without this balancing qualifier, while Tracktollywood.com notes Deepika's silence but presents the Vanga account as the key explanation. A careful reader should note that the claim comes from one side of a commercial dispute and that the film's March 2027 release date will test whether the replacement, or the original casting, proves more successful.

## Coverage

Coverage: 4 sources, 2 neutral, 2 sensationalist
- greatandhra.com (sensationalist) <https://www.greatandhra.com/movies/movie-news/deepikas-spirit-exit-profit-share-demand-triggered-trouble/>
  Leads with profit-share demand as 'another reason,' treats Vanga's account as new fact without Deepika's denial
- m9.news (sensationalist) <https://www.m9.news/movienews/spirit-controversy-deepika-padukone-exit-fresh-claims/>
  Frames Vanga's profit-share claim as central, adds speculation on Deepika's possible regret
- tracktollywood.com (neutral report) <https://tracktollywood.com/deepika-padukone-spirit-exit-reason/>
  Reports Vanga's claims with caveat that Deepika has not confirmed, balancing both sides
- telugu360.com (neutral report) <https://www.telugu360.com/why-is-deepika-padukone-removed-from-spirit/>
  Reports Vanga's claims with explicit caveat it is the team's version, most balanced framing

This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources. Last updated 2026-08-21T04:26:01+00:00.

Tags: Deepika Padukone, Prabhas, Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Spirit
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How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/