The war of words—albeit one-sided—between filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga and actor Deepika Padukone has escalated, despite Deepika’s continued silence on the matter. On Monday evening, Vanga posted a scathing note on Twitter (now X), seemingly accusing Deepika of leaking confidential plot details from his upcoming film Spirit, which she exited just last week. Her replacement, Triptii Dimri, was announced shortly after.
The tension came to a head following a Pinkvilla report that published exclusive details about Spirit. Vanga, without naming Deepika, insinuated that she was responsible for the leak. In his post, the Animal director wrote:
“When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA between us. But by doing this, you’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the person that you are… Putting down a younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for?”
He continued with a stinging remark:
“As a filmmaker, I put years of hard work behind my craft & for me, filmmaking is everything. You didn’t get it. You won’t get it. You will never get it… Aisa karo… Agli baar poori kahani bolna… kyunki mujhe zara bhi farak nahi padta,”
tagging the post with #PRGames, suggesting media manipulation and narrative control.
Internet Reacts Swiftly and Sharply
Vanga’s comments sparked instant backlash on social media, with many accusing him of using feminism as a scapegoat in a personal dispute. One viral tweet read:
“Andhra Tate will never miss an opportunity to insert feminism when it has nothing to do with the power struggle and b***hing between two privileged cinema bourgeoisie.”
Another user mocked the contradiction in Vanga’s tone:
“Ego got hurt so blame feminism for it and write such a long ass post!! And then saying zara bhi farak nahi padta, lol, such a crybaby.”
Some criticized the hypocrisy of Vanga’s statement, pointing out the controversial male behavior often glorified in his films like Kabir Singh and Animal. A tweet read:
“Glorifying domestic violence, cheating, abuse and what not in your movies is not filmmaking, Vanga. You should be the last person calling out someone’s feminism.”
Meanwhile, Deepika’s fans applauded her dignified silence. One wrote,
“Deepika is true alpha for making this man-child cry.”
The Fallout
While Deepika has chosen to remain silent, this public spat has reignited debates around professionalism, gender dynamics in Bollywood, and the ethics of filmmaking and promotion. With Spirit still in pre-production and now headlined by Prabhas and Triptii Dimri, all eyes remain on whether the film can emerge unscathed from this war of egos—or if the damage has already been done.
