Triptii Dimri has officially joined the cast of Spirit as the female lead opposite Prabhas, with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga confirming the news on social media. The announcement puts an end to weeks of speculation about the film’s casting, particularly following Deepika Padukone’s abrupt departure from the project.Triptii shared the title poster of Spirit in multiple languages on Saturday, along with a heartfelt note. “Still sinking in… So grateful to be trusted with this journey. Thank you @sandeepreddy.vanga… Honoured to be a part of your vision,” she wrote. Vanga also welcomed her, posting, “The female lead for my film is now official :-)”.Deepika Padukone exited over fee, schedule disagreements: reportsReports suggest that Deepika Padukone’s exit stemmed from a series of disagreements with the director. The Padmaavat actress had allegedly demanded over Rs 20 crore as remuneration, along with shorter working hours to accommodate her schedule as a new mother. These terms reportedly clashed with Vanga’s working style and vision for the film.According to Telugu 360, Triptii is being paid around Rs 4 crore for her role, significantly less than Deepika’s reported fee. While the financial details haven’t been officially confirmed, Triptii’s previous collaboration with Vanga on Animal has already established a strong working rapport between the two.Vanga slams actress for ‘dirty PR games’ in cryptic postAmid the casting shift, Sandeep Reddy Vanga posted a scathing message on Twitter, appearing to indirectly address Deepika’s departure. While he didn’t name her, he wrote, “When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith… You’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the person that you are… Putting down a younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for?” He added that filmmaking meant everything to him, and accused the unnamed actress of playing “#dirtyPRgames”.
Triptii Dimri’s casting comes at a pivotal moment in her career, as she continues her rise following Animal. Her on-screen pairing with Prabhas in Spirit has already generated buzz among fans.Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone is reportedly in talks to join Allu Arjun’s upcoming film with director Atlee. She is also speculated to return for Kalki 2898 AD’s sequel and Shah Rukh Khan’s next project King, although official announcements are still awaited.
