Deepika Padukone Demanded 25% Fee Hike, 7-Hour Shift, 5-Star Stay For 25 Member Crew For Prabhas' Kalki 2898 AD Sequel: Report

The

much-anticipated sequel to Kalki 2898 AD, starring Prabhas, has hit an unexpected roadblock with the producers officially announcing Deepika Padukone’s exit from the film. On Thursday morning, the makers released a statement, hinting at 'commitment issues' as the reason behind the fallout, stating that a film of such scale requires absolute dedication, something they could not find with Padukone. However, a deeper investigation reveals that the conflict ran much deeper than just scheduling.

Deepika Padukone demanded fee hike, 5-star accommodation for crew?

According to Bollywood Hungama, sources confirmed that Deepika Padukone’s demands left the producers furious. “Deepika Padukone demanded a 25 percent increment on the acting fees she was paid for the first part of the film. That’s not all, she put her foot down on shooting for just 7 hours a day. Given that Kalki 2898 AD is a VFX heavy film, such short shoots was likely to shoot up the budget by a reasonable amount. The producers were willing to provide a luxury vanity to Deepika for rest, in return of longer shoot hours, but she refused. They also tried to negotiate finances, given that even Prabhas had not asked for an increment in fees. She and her team refused to adjust on either,” a source close to the producer informed the portal.The report further states that Deepika has a big team with almost 25 people travelling with her on the sets. They demanded a five-star accommodation and reimbursement for food for her whole entourage. The producers questioned why should they pay for the stay and food of an actor, over and above the fees. Reportedly, many Hindi producers face the same issue.Despite multiple attempts from the producers to resolve the matter, including requesting Padukone to cut down her team strength, no compromise was reached. “This was the issue on Spirit too. And now Kalki 2898 AD. Actors have to be more collaborative to make films work,” the source added.

Kalki 2898 AD vs Atlee-Allu Arjun's next?

Meanwhile, a Hindustan Times report suggests that scheduling conflicts also played a role in the fallout. The sequel was set to begin filming towards the end of the year, but Padukone allegedly prioritized her upcoming film with Allu Arjun and director Atlee, leading to overlapping dates. “The sequel's shoot was planned for end of this year. However, Deepika's dates were given to her film with filmmaker Atlee instead. Both the films were supposed to be filming around the same time, and that has led to an issue between the producers and Deepika's team,” a source was quoted as saying.With Deepika Padukone now out of the project, the makers of

Kalki 2898 AD are expected to begin the search for a replacement.