Kalki 2898 AD sequel: Who will play Deepika Padukone’s character? Director Nag Ashwin has an answer

Deepika Padukone's exit from Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD sequel was one of the most shocking developments for fans. Following her departure, questions arose about who would replace her and whether her character would be written out.

Amid all uncertainties, one thing director Ashwin has confirmed is that there will be no major cast additions to the film. So rumours of casting additions were basically not true. In a chat with Variety India, Ashwin, the director, confirmed that there will be no new cast members.

When asked about any “fresh additions” to the cast, Ashwin, without directly mentioning Padukone, said,''No new additions. We are continuing with the story we started, and there are already so many characters in it.”

Previously, several reports claimed that Sai Pallavi is reportedly set to replace Padukone in the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. With the recent update, it has been confirmed that no new additions are happening. But with this, another question arises: How will the story move forward without Padukone's character, Sumati, also referred to as SUM-80, a central character around whom the story revolves?

Why did Deepika Padukone leave Kalki 2898 AD?

Padukone was the central character of the movie, and the whole story revolves around her character. She was a major part of the first part. The shock came when the production house Vyjayanthi Movies released an official statement announcing Padukone's exit from the project. This came when the actress was in the headlines for her 8-hour shift demand to maintain a work-life balance and to have sufficient time for her daughter Dua as well. She also left Sandeep Reddy Venga's Spirit for the same reasons.

In the statement, the makers wrote, '' is 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.'' They also said that movies like Kalki, deserve that commitment and much more. ''

The makers' comment faced backlash, with many netizens finding it aggressive. The reason for the exit has not been disclosed officially, but it has been said that it was the result of disagreements over her reduced work hours and huge fee demands.

It was reported by Bollywood Hungama that the actress demanded a 25 per cent pay hike