‘Is This Your Feminism?’: Sandeep Reddy Vanga Targets Deepika Padukone Without Naming Her

Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga, known for Animal and Kabir Singh, has stirred fresh controversy—this time seemingly taking aim at Deepika Padukone without naming her. In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), Vanga accused an unnamed actor—widely speculated to be Deepika—of breaking an “unsaid NDA,” leaking plot details from his upcoming film Spirit, and allegedly undermining her replacement, Triptii Dimri.

“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?” Vanga posted, directly challenging the actor’s feminist stance. He went further, accusing her of playing “dirty PR games” and sarcastically urging her to “reveal the whole story next time,” while adding that such tactics would not impact him.

Vanga’s outburst follows the official announcement of Triptii Dimri as the new female lead opposite Prabhas in Spirit. While Deepika’s departure from the film was never formally acknowledged, media reports suggest creative differences and contractual disagreements led to her exit. According to Bollywood Hungama, Deepika allegedly requested limited work hours—six per day—and demanded extra pay if the shoot exceeded 100 days, terms reportedly unacceptable to the production team.

Deepika Padukone has not commented on the matter, nor responded to Vanga’s apparent jibe.

Vanga’s attempt to portray Deepika’s exit as a breach of trust has reignited long-standing criticism of his own filmography and public statements—particularly his history of controversial takes on women and relationships.

Vanga first gained attention with Arjun Reddy (2017), which he remade in Hindi as Kabir Singh (2019). Both films were denounced for glamorising toxic masculinity and romanticising abusive behaviour. After Kabir Singh’s release, Vanga drew widespread ire for saying, “If you can’t slap, if you can’t touch your woman wherever you want, then there is no emotion.” Critics slammed the statement for normalising domestic violence and mistaking control for passion.

Rather than backtrack, Vanga defended his views by dismissing critics as “pseudo-feminists” who, according to him, failed to grasp “true love.”

His most recent film Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna, only added fuel to the fire. One particular scene—where Ranbir’s character commands Triptii Dimri’s character to lick his shoes—sparked outrage. The moment was widely criticised for its degrading portrayal of women, with voices like Javed Akhtar also calling it out.

Now, by dragging feminist ideals into his personal spat, Sandeep Reddy Vanga finds himself once again at the centre of a debate about misogyny in Indian cinema—this time not just on screen, but off it too.