In a surprising development on Thursday, the makers of Kalki 2898 AD announced that Deepika Padukone will not be part of the sequel. The news came as a shock to many of her fans. Now, the film’s director, Nag Ashwin, has shared a cryptic post on social media, and fans believe it may be connected to Deepika.
Nag Ashwin’s cryptic post after Deepika Padukone dropped from Kalki 2898 AD sequel
On Thursday, Nag Ashwin took to Instagram and re-shared a video of Krishna’s entry scene from Kalki 2898 AD, originally posted by a fan page. The caption on the video read, “You can’t change what happened, but you can choose what happens next.” His story quickly surfaced on Reddit, with many speculating that it was aimed at Deepika.
One of the comments read, “he seems pretty angry.” Another wrote: “Clearly they are not happy with Deepika, and I think it’s not just about her motherhood.” A third user commented, “Why do they talk in code language? Just spit it out.” Another said, “he looks pretty pissed at DP, but why do these celebs talk in such secret code?” One more wrote: “everyone seems to be very salty about Deepika.” Another remarked: “atleast he is trying to be optimistic.”
Deepika essayed the role of Sumati in the 2023 hit Kalki 2898 AD. However, earlier on Thursday morning, the film’s production house, Vyjayanthi Movies, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Deepika is no longer part of the sequel. The post read: “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.”
The statement further added, “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.”
Shortly after the announcement, a Bollywood Hungama report claimed that Deepika had “demanded a 25 per cent increment on the acting fees she was paid for the first part of the film.” A source close to the production house further alleged that she wanted to work only seven hours a day. While the producers were willing to provide a luxury vanity van for her rest in exchange for longer shoot hours, she reportedly refused. Deepika is yet to respond to these claims.
About Kalki 2898 AD
Set in a dystopian future, the science fiction action drama starred Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani in pivotal roles. The film was praised for its high-end VFX, and Amitabh’s portrayal of Ashwatthama received widespread acclaim. It was also a major box-office success, earning ₹1,042.25 crore against a budget of ₹500 crore. Director Nag Ashwin has previously revealed that the sequel will go on floors in December this year.
