Bollywood actress Triptii Dimri has officially been announced as the female lead opposite Prabhas in director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit. With this, Triptii has replaced Deepika Padukone as the latter was reportedly playing the lead earlier. The project, which is being backed by T-Series and Bhadrakali Pictures, is currently in pre-production and is expected to begin filming in 2025.
Triptii, who worked with Vanga in the 2023 superhit film Animal, took to her official Instagram account on Saturday (May 24) to announce the news.
The casting marks the first on-screen collaboration between Triptii and Prabhas. While this is Triptii's debut pairing with the pan-India star, it is her second outing with director Vanga and producers Bhushan Kumar and Pranay Reddy Vanga.
Spirit has been positioned as a large-scale, globally focused entertainer, with Prabhas playing the role of an intense cop. According to the makers, Triptii’s role will add a new dimension to the narrative, though further details about her character remain under wraps.
The film joins a growing list of ambitious big-banner projects aimed at a wide domestic and international audience. With Vanga at the helm, known for his stylised and emotionally intense storytelling, Spirit is expected to generate attention as it moves closer to production.
More updates are expected as the film progresses.
Triptii Dimri replaces Deepika Padukone
Actress Deepika Padukone, who was previously reported to be playing the female lead in Spirit, was allegedly dropped following disagreements over fees and claims of "unprofessional" conduct during pre-production.
A source quoted by Bollywood Hungama said, "Vanga got the shock of his life when Deepika refused to shoot for more than six hours a day for Spirit. That's not all, the actress, via her agency, also started to demand an amendment to the contract. Their point of contention was simple - if the shoot extends beyond 100 days, Deepika will have to be paid extra for every single day of shoot beyond the commitment on paper."
However, the makers did not react to the reports.
Reportedly, the film has already seen multiple delays, first due to Deepika’s pregnancy and maternity leave, and more recently due to Prabhas’ injury and his packed shooting schedule.
