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Amid reports of Deepika Padukone’s rumoured exit from the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD, makers are actively considering a recast for the role. Although no official announcement has been made yet, reports suggest that Sai Pallavi is likely to replace Padukone in the film.
“Nothing has been finalised yet. But yes, the makers are looking at Sai to play SUM-80 after Deepika’s exit,” Hindustan Times quoted a representative of the film as saying.
The representative further added, “They think she’ll be a perfect fit for the role,” before clarifying that these are “just rumours”. The representative urged that people should wait for “official confirmation” before reaching conclusions.
An official statement is still awaited regarding the sequel to Nag Ashwin’s sci-fi Kalki 2898 AD, which stars Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, and Kamal Haasan in key roles.
Following her exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, Deepika Padukone also stepped away from the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. The development was officially confirmed by production house Vyjayanthi Movies.
“This is to officially announce that Deepika Padukone 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,” Vyjayanthi Movies said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
It added, “And a film like Kalki 2898 AD deserves that commitment and much more.”
According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, Padukone’s exit reportedly followed disagreements over remuneration and working conditions. The report claimed that the actor had sought a 25 per cent fee hike and limited her work hours to seven hours a day, despite the film’s extensive VFX-heavy schedule.
Quoting a source, the report stated, “Deepika’s team is a big one with almost 25 people travelling with her on the sets. They demanded a five-star accommodation and reimbursement for food through the shoot for her entourage. Why should the producers pay for the stay and food of an actor, over and above the fees? This is an issue that a lot of Hindi producers also face.”
Kalki 2898 AD, the Telugu-language sci-fi film, was released in June 2024 and went on to collect Rs 1,042 crore worldwide.
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