Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit has landed in controversy yet again. Initially, Deepika Padukone was expected to play the female lead opposite Prabhas. However, reports soon emerged that the actress was dropped from the project due to alleged unprofessional behavior. Following her exit, actress Tripti Dimri was roped in to replace her.

The controversy escalated when details of the film’s story were reportedly leaked. In the aftermath, Sandeep Reddy Vanga took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his fury, indirectly hinting that Deepika Padukone may have been behind the leak.

In his post, Vanga wrote,
“When I narrate a story to an actor, I trust them 100%. There is a non-disclosure agreement between us. But through your actions—insulting younger actors and leaking my story—you’ve shown your true colors. Is this what feminism means to you?”

He continued,
“I’ve spent years mastering my craft as a filmmaker. Filmmaking is everything to me. But you wouldn’t understand that. You’ll never understand. Go ahead and leak the whole story next time—it doesn’t matter to me anymore. These cheap PR tricks won’t work. I like that old saying: ‘A cat scratches the pillar in the ditch.’”

While Sandeep didn’t name anyone explicitly, his post has set social media abuzz, with fans and industry insiders speculating that it was a direct jab at Deepika Padukone. The situation has added more intrigue—and tension—to Spirit, a film that already has fans eagerly awaiting its release with Prabhas in the lead.