Kalki 2898 AD Sequel: Here's Why Producers Dropped Deepika Padukone From Prabhas Starrer

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone will not be returning for the sequel to the 2024 Telugu blockbuster 'Kalki 2898 AD', the makers announced on Thursday.

Kalki 2898 is produced by Vyjayanthi Movies and directed by Nag Ashwin. The movie stars Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan.

The producers shared the news in a post on social media platform X and wrote, "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.

Set in a dystopian future in the year 2898 AD, 'Kalki' followed the story of a group on a mission to protect lab subject SUM-80's (Padukone) unborn child, believed to be Kalki.

The film was released in June 2024 and earned over Rs 1,000 crore at the global box office.

Vyjayanthi Movies is a film production House established in 1972, by C. Ashwini Dutt.

The announcement from Vyjayanthi Movies about Deepika Padukone's exit from Kalki 2898 AD sequel reflects a shift, possibly influenced by her recent motherhood and schedule, including the film King with Shah Rukh Khan, which may have strained her commitment to the franchise, as hinted by her absence from earlier sequel production hints in January 2025 by director Nag Ashwin.

After being replaced from Spirit, Deepika has now been replaced in Kalki 2898 AD. Both films have Prabhas as the male lead.

According to multiple reports, Deepika Padukone had issues with the Spirit's script, along with her demands for an 8-hour workday and not speaking Telugu dialogues. These reasons were speculated to have contributed to her exit from the project. Additionally, her requested fee was also a point of contention.

While no one made any official statement at the time, sources close to the project hinted that the team was "unhappy" with her "demands."