Mani Ratnam Backs Deepika Padukone Over Spirit Exit: ‘Glad She's In A Position To Ask'

News18

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Mani Ratnam defends Deepika Padukone after her reported Spirit exit, calling her demands rightful and reasonable amid backlash over her work terms.
Deepika Padukone's reported exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit has triggered massive online debate. Anonymous sources claimed that the actor made several 'unprofessional" demands, including working only eight hours a day, a fee of Rs 20 crore, a profit-sharing clause and allegedly declining to deliver dialogues in Telugu.
Now, acclaimed filmmaker Mani Ratnam has come forward in support of Deepika amid the backlash. Without mincing words, he addressed the criticism the actor has been facing over her demands.
'I think it is a rightful demand," Ratnam told us. 'I'm glad she's in a position to ask for it. I think as a filmmaker, you will take that into consideration when you cast. It is not an unreasonable thing to ask, but an absolute necessity. I think that should be the priority. You have to acknowledge that, understand it and work around it," the filmmaker added.
Earlier, actor Ajay Devgn also weighed in on the controversy. When asked about the 8-hour shift requirement reportedly made by Deepika, he said, 'It's not that it's not going down well with people. Most of the honest filmmakers will not have problems with it. And apart from this, being a mother and working for eight hours, most people have started working eight-nine hours shifts."
Deepika was signed opposite Prabhas in Spirit, marking her second Telugu-language pan-India film after Kalki 2898 AD. However, reports of her opting out of the film surfaced recently, with speculation suggesting that her terms were not met. The actor has not publicly commented on the development.
Following the buzz, the makers announced that Triptii Dimri has been roped in to play the female lead opposite Prabhas. This reunites Triptii with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga after their successful collaboration on Animal.
Soon after, Vanga appeared to address the situation indirectly on X (formerly Twitter). Without naming anyone, he expressed disappointment over a leaked script and questioned the motivations behind it.
'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?" he wrote.
First Published:
June 02, 2025, 20:48 IST