In India, in the entertainment sphere, this has been a Deepika Padukone news week. The Bollywood actor on Saturday (June 7, 2025) officially boarded the cast of Telugu star Allu Arjun’s sci-fi magnum opus with director Atlee. The announcement, while delighting fans, arrived in a charged context: Deepika, currently on a maternity break, has waded into a controversy after her alleged fallout with the makers of Spirit, leading to her departure from the film.

Did Deepika walk out of Spirit or was she dropped? Was she fair in demanding a 10% profit share, as claimed in certain reports? Are eight-hour work shifts feasible on blockbuster film sets? Is Deepika not returning for Kalki 2? These questions have swirled around for days on social media, even as Deepika (who welcomed her daughter Dua in September last year) or her representatives are yet to comment on the issue.