What is the story about?
For over two years, there were reports that Deepika Padukone would be starring in the fourth season of HBO's ambitious Emmy award winning series The White Lotus. But Variety India has reported the actress has refused the part and has her reasons of doing so.
A source told the portal, "Auditions are a mandatory part of the casting process for The White Lotus. The makers were very keen on auditioning actors before signing them on. Deepika was not keen on auditioning and that was the reason why the White Lotus opportunity had to be passed."
The Spirit Fiasco
That's not all, the fiasco between Deepika and Vanga has been garnering headlines for quite some time, a new report then emerged discussing the actress' demands for Spirit.
“The actor had reportedly demanded ₹25 crores for approximately 35 days of shoot, along with a 10% profit share, extensive entourage expenses, and even expressed unwillingness to deliver dialogues in Telugu—something the director felt strongly about. To top it off, confidential plot details from Spirit were allegedly leaked, which raised serious concerns among the producers," the source told News18.
According to the report, Sandeep “believes actors speaking their own lines”. “Contrary to speculation, her restricted filming schedule of under 8 hours a day was never the primary issue. In filmmaking, working hours are fluid and depend on location, lighting, and various technical factors. You could shoot for 2 hours or 8, depending on the scene. What truly matters is flexibility, collaboration, and respect for the craft. It’s about commitment. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga believes actors speaking their own lines builds authenticity and emotional connect with the audience," the source added.
A source told the portal, "Auditions are a mandatory part of the casting process for The White Lotus. The makers were very keen on auditioning actors before signing them on. Deepika was not keen on auditioning and that was the reason why the White Lotus opportunity had to be passed."
The Spirit Fiasco
That's not all, the fiasco between Deepika and Vanga has been garnering headlines for quite some time, a new report then emerged discussing the actress' demands for Spirit.
“The actor had reportedly demanded ₹25 crores for approximately 35 days of shoot, along with a 10% profit share, extensive entourage expenses, and even expressed unwillingness to deliver dialogues in Telugu—something the director felt strongly about. To top it off, confidential plot details from Spirit were allegedly leaked, which raised serious concerns among the producers," the source told News18.
According to the report, Sandeep “believes actors speaking their own lines”. “Contrary to speculation, her restricted filming schedule of under 8 hours a day was never the primary issue. In filmmaking, working hours are fluid and depend on location, lighting, and various technical factors. You could shoot for 2 hours or 8, depending on the scene. What truly matters is flexibility, collaboration, and respect for the craft. It’s about commitment. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga believes actors speaking their own lines builds authenticity and emotional connect with the audience," the source added.
