Just as the buzz around Deepika Padukone’s sudden exit from the ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ sequel hit the headlines, director Nag Ashwin stepped in to share his thoughts on the matter. The director, in a rather cryptic post on his Instagram stories, seemingly addressed the actress’ exit and the chatter around it. Ashwin shared a note that read, “You can’t change what happened but you can choose what happens next.” The line has sent fans into a frenzy, with many speculating that it’s his way of taking the story forward without his leading lady, who was rumoured to have an important role in the story. On Thursday, production house Vyjayanthi Movies officially announced that Deepika would not be returning for the sequel of the Prabhas-starrer. While the post announced her exit, it didn’t seem to state the reason, leaving room for speculation. While some reports claimed that it was owing to scheduling conflicts, other claimed it was due to the star raising her fees to an alleged Rs 25 crore.While Ashwin was reportedly not happy with the way the negotiations went, the film’s producers were ready to carry on with the project without DP.News of her exit came just months after the actress bowed out of her much-talked-about role in ‘Spirit’, which would see her starring opposite Prabhas in the Sandeep Reddy Vanga directorial. Her exit from the project was announced by Vanga in a social media post and was accompanied by an announcement of Triptii Dimri being cast as his leading lady.The first instalment of ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ was a massive box office success, and had fans waiting for the second part to see how the story continued.
