After the success of Animal, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has been preparing for his next big project, Spirit, starring Prabhas in the lead.
However, reports now suggest that Deepika Padukone, who was earlier said to be part of the film, is no longer a part of the project.
According to Filmfare, the actress was allegedly dropped from Spirit due to disagreements over remuneration and reported "unprofessional" behaviour.
A source close to the development told Bollywood Hungama, "Sandeep Reddy Vanga got the shock of his life when Deepika Padukone refused to shoot for more than 6 hours a day for Spirit. That's not all, the actress, via her agency, also started to demand an amendment to the contract. Their point of contention was simple - if the shoot extends beyond 100 days, Deepika will have to be paid extra for every single day of shoot beyond the commitment on paper."
Following these alleged concerns, the director and his team are said to be looking for a replacement. An official statement from the makers, however, is still awaited.
The film has already faced multiple delays - initially due to Deepika's pregnancy and childbirth, and later owing to Prabhas' injury and other film commitments. This has led to speculation that Spirit may not go on floors anytime soon, with some reports suggesting it might be pushed to next year.
Prabhas is also scheduled to work on sequels to Kalki 2898 AD and Salaar before beginning Spirit.
Despite the delays, producer Bhushan Kumar recently stated in an interview that Spirit is expected to begin shooting in the next two to three months. After wrapping up Spirit, Sandeep Reddy Vanga will reportedly begin work on Animal Park, the sequel to Animal.
NDTV reached out to Deepika Padukone's team for a comment, but has not received a response yet.
Meanwhile, the actress is expected to appear in the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War and Shah Rukh Khan's King.