'Dirty PR Games': Spirit Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga Seemingly SLAMS Deepika Padukone After Reports Link Her Exit To 'Bold Scenes' In Film

Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga, known fo films like Animal and Kabir Singh, seemingly slammed actress Deepika Padukone for putting a younger actor down. For those unversed, this comes after it was reported that Deepika quit Sandeep's upcoming film, Spirit, with Prabhas, due to bold scenes.

Just a couple of hours after the reports surfaced, Sandeep took to his official X account on Monday (May 26) and criticised the 'dirty PR games' of the person he took a dig at.

Without naming anyone or giving any context, he wrote, "When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, You've 'DISCLOSED' the person that you are."

The director further mentioned, "Putting down a younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for? As a filmmaker, I put years of hard work behind my craft & for me, filmmaking is everything. You didn't get it. You won't get it. You will never get it. 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."

When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA(Non Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, You've 'DISCLOSED' the person that you are....
Putting down a Younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for ? As a…

— Sandeep Reddy Vanga (@imvangasandeep) May 26, 2025

Soon after Vanga shared the post, a section of X users backed his vision, however, others defended Deepika's right to negotiate. Neither Deepika not her team has reacted to the controversy yet.

On Monday, a report in Pinkvilla stated that the upcoming cop drama will have A-rated bold sequences.

A source told the portal, "While the story-telling of Spirit is that of a quintessential Telugu entertainer, that has all the hero moments, the filmmaker is bringing a twist to the genre by spinning in an ‘A-Rated’ twist. Apart from the use of ample blood in the action scenes, Spirit will also boost of a lot of bold sequences featuring the two leads."

The source further added, "Sandeep Reddy Vanga wanted to cast an actress, who would be comfortable with the sequences written on paper. He has promised a comfortable and professional atmosphere on the sets amidst the shoot to Triptii."

A few days back, several media reports also suggested disagreements over Deepika's demands for shorter work hours and higher pay as the reasons behind her exit from the film, which Sandeep found 'unprofessional'.

A source quoted by Bollywood Hungama said, "Vanga got the shock of his life when Deepika refused to shoot for more than six hours a day for Spirit. That's not all, the actress, via her agency, also started to demand an amendment to the contract. Their point of contention was simple - if the shoot extends beyond 100 days, Deepika will have to be paid extra for every single day of shoot beyond the commitment on paper."

It is to be noted that there's no confirmation about these reports. Also, on May 24, actress Triptii Dimri was announced as the female lead of Spirit opposite Prabhas.

The female lead for my film is now official :-) pic.twitter.com/U7JJQqSUVa

— Sandeep Reddy Vanga (@imvangasandeep) May 24, 2025

Reportedly, the film has already seen multiple delays, first due to Deepika's pregnancy and maternity leave, and later due to Prabhas' injury and his packed shooting schedule.