Thug Life director Mani Ratnam backs Deepika Padukone amid Spirit exit controversy, says "It is not an unreasonable thing to ask..."

Mani Ratnam supports Deepika Padukone

Online discussion has been triggered by Deepika Padukone's alleged withdrawal from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's upcoming movie Spirit.

According to alleged insider reports, the well-known actor made a number of "unprofessional" demands, such as a rigid eight-hour workday, Rs 20 crore in compensation, a profit-sharing arrangement, and a reluctance to deliver lines in Telugu.

Renowned director Mani Ratnam intervened to support Deepika's position as social media was ablaze with rumours and criticism. Speaking openly to News18, he emphasised that her conditions were legitimate and that they ought to be respected rather than disapproved of.

“I think it is a rightful demand,” The Thug Life director said.

“I’m glad she’s in a position to ask for it. I think as a filmmaker, you will take that into consideration when you cast. It is not an unreasonable thing to ask, but an absolute necessity. I think that should be the priority. You have to acknowledge that, understand it and work around it,” he added, making a strong case for professional boundaries in the film industry.

Veteran actor Ajay Devgn also shared his perspective during a separate interaction, supporting the idea of fixed working hours. Reacting to Deepika’s supposed demand for an eight-hour shift, he remarked, “It’s not that it’s not going down well with people. Most of the honest filmmakers will not have problems with it. And apart from this, being a mother and working for eight hours, most people have started working eight-nine hours shifts.”

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Spirit, Deepika's second Telugu-language pan-India project after Kalki 2898 AD, was originally slated to star Prabhas opposite her. But according to recent reports, she is no longer involved with the movie because of differences over her terms. The actor hasn't publicly addressed the matter yet.

After she left, the production company revealed that Triptii Dimri would play the lead female role, bringing her and director Vanga back together after their successful Animal collaboration.

According to reports, Triptii Dimri is earning ₹4 crores for her upcoming film—one-fourth of what Deepika Padukone was paid, which was ₹20 crores. This marks the biggest paycheck of Triptii's career so far.