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In a surprising turn of events, netizens were left stunned this morning after the makers of Kalki 2898 AD, starring Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan, announced that Deepika Padukone would no longer be part of the sequel.

The production house Vyjayanthi Movies shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “This is to officially announce that @deepikapadukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel of #Kalki2898AD. After careful consideration, We have decided to part ways. Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. And a film like @Kalki2898AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future works.”

This marks the second big project Deepika has lost this year after Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, where she was replaced by Triptii Dimri opposite Prabhas.

While the official reason behind Deepika’s exit from Kalki 2898 AD was not revealed, according to a HT City report, her dates were allotted to Atlee’s next project after monetary negotiations with the makers of Kalki reportedly fell through. Amid the controversy, an old interview resurfaced online, where another filmmaker had accused the actor of being “unprofessional.”

When Ramesh Taurani Accused Deepika of Unprofessional Behaviour

Back in 2012, Deepika Padukone had faced backlash after abruptly walking out of Abbas–Mustan’s Race 2, which also starred Saif Ali Khan, John Abraham, and Jacqueline Fernandez.

Producer Ramesh Taurani had expressed his disappointment in an interview with TOI, saying: “The saddest part is that Deepika was supposed to meet me on January 27. At the last minute, she texted to say that she would not be coming but her manager would explain her concerns and ‘find a way for us to work together’."

He continued, "Deepika was in Mumbai from January 27 to January 31 but refused to answer my calls, reply to messages or meet me. In my 25 years in this industry, I have never been so disrespected by any actor and we have worked with the biggest and the best.”

The producer also revealed that the team had adjusted the shooting schedule so Deepika could work on Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) with Ranbir Kapoor at the same time.

The Hollywood Offer and Fallout

Deepika’s manager reportedly informed Taurani that she was backing out because she had been offered a Hollywood project. Soon after, the actor left for the US. When she returned, Taurani said he tried to meet her on the sets of Cocktail (2012) to resolve the issue, but she allegedly postponed the meeting.

“We tried everything to convince her to not do this. I really tried to find a way to work things out with Deepika. Unfortunately, she was not willing to budge and did not even show an ounce of remorse for the massive inconvenience caused to us, our actors and our senior directors. After this, I had no choice but to file a complaint against her in the AMPTPP and CINTAA. I am deeply saddened by this unprofessional behavior,” Taurani had stated.

Resolution and Return

Eventually, the official CINTAA meeting was called off, and a few days later, Deepika was back on board Race 2—reportedly with certain conditions. The film went on to become an important release for the actor in 2013, marking a turning point in her career.