Overview

• Vyjayanthi Movies announced on September 18 that Deepika Padukone will not return for the sequel, stating the sides could not “find a partnership.”
• Multiple outlets report she sought roughly a 25% fee increase, a 7–8 hour daily cap on shooting, and five‑star stays and reimbursements for a large entourage.
• Separate reporting says script changes reduced her part to a near‑cameo, which sources say led her team to step away from the project.
• Padukone and her representatives have not publicly responded to the producers’ statement.
• Director Nag Ashwin posted a cryptic message after the announcement, and coverage notes her earlier 2025 exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit.