‘Double standards': Deepika Padukone finally breaks her silence on exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD sequel

Amid ongoing talks over her exit from Sandeep Vanga Reddy’s Spirit and the Kalki 2898 AD sequel, Deepika Padukone has broken her silence, addressing the gender double standards in the industry without naming anyone.

In an interview with CNBC TV18, Deepika responded to reports that she had demanded fixed 8-hour working shifts. She said, “By virtue of being a woman, if that's coming across as pushy or whatever, then so be it. But it is no secret that a lot of superstars, male superstars, in the Indian Film Industry, have been working for 8 hours for years and it's never made headlines!”

She added, “I don't want to take names now and make this into a whole thing but it is very commonly, publicly known that a lot of male actors have been working for 8 hours a day for years. A lot of them only work for 8 hours Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends.”

Deepika Padukone's controversial exits from Kalki 2898 AD sequel and Spirit

Kalki 2898 AD producers had officially announced her departure from the sequel last month, 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.”

Reports suggested that her exit was linked to her request for fixed 8-hour shifts to maintain a work-life balance. Similarly, her departure from Spirit was reportedly due to the same reasons. The director had taken to X (formerly Twitter) to post a cryptic note, seemingly addressing the actress without naming her, expressing disappointment over the disclosure of his story and the handling of his film. Triptii Dimri was later cast in her place.

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Deepika moves forward with Shah Rukh Khan’s King

Despite these setbacks, Deepika has begun shooting for King with Shah Rukh Khan, marking their sixth collaboration. The pair were last seen together in Jawan. A couple of weeks ago, she shared a picture from the first day of shooting on Instagram, holding Shah Rukh’s hand, along with a heartfelt note reflecting on their long association.

She wrote, "The very first lesson he taught me almost 18 years ago while filming Om Shanti Om was that the experience of making a movie, and the people you make it with, matter far more than its success. I couldn't agree more and have applied that learning to every decision I've made since. And that's probably why we're back making our 6th movie together. #king #day1."

King marks the sixth on-screen collaboration between Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, after Om Shanti Om, Chennai Express, Happy New Year, Pathaan, and Jawan. Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone was last seen in the actioner 'Singham Again' which received mixed reviews.