"No one will watch it without her."
The makers of Kalki 2898 AD are facing renewed controversy after social media users noticed that Deepika Padukone’s name appeared missing from the film’s OTT credits.
The speculation has reignited debate about her abrupt exit from the upcoming sequel and whether her omission was deliberate.
Several users took to Reddit, sharing videos of the end credits that reportedly excluded Deepika’s name.
The post quickly went viral, with many accusing the filmmakers of being “petty” and “unprofessional.”
One comment read, “It’s one thing to have a falling out, but this is just downright unprofessional. She’s literally in the film and promoted it. The irony here is that they called Deepika unprofessional but then turn around and behave like this.”
Others argued it might simply be a technical issue.
One user wrote, “No, it was never there from the beginning. They missed adding her during the release, also. It was already brought to their attention.”
Another pointed out that the Hindi version of the film on Netflix does credit Deepika, suggesting a possible backend error rather than intentional removal.
The divided reactions have once again drawn attention to Deepika’s exit from the Kalki sequel.
Earlier this year, the production house Vyjayanthi Movies confirmed that the actress would not return for the second instalment.
Their statement read, “This 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.”
It continued, “Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. And a film like Kalki 2898 AD deserves that commitment and much more.”
The phrasing sparked backlash online, with many fans accusing the studio of unfairly questioning Deepika’s professionalism.
Social media users found the tone of the announcement unnecessarily harsh.
One fan commented, “Lack of commitment as if Prabhas is free at home and only fully concentrating on just Kalki, what nonsense!”
Another added, “Deepika doesn’t need Kalki 2898 AD, but Kalki needs Deepika. She was the backbone of the film. No one will watch it without her.”
Reports suggested that Deepika’s decision to leave stemmed from scheduling issues.
She allegedly requested reduced working hours, but her demands were not met.
The actress also reportedly exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit for similar reasons.
In Kalki 2898 AD, Deepika played Sumati, a central character whose emotional journey added depth to the dystopian epic.
Audiences widely praised her performance, with one scene in particular, the fire tunnel sequence, becoming a standout moment for many fans.
The film featured a star-studded cast including Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Disha Patani.
While it performed well both critically and commercially, the controversy surrounding Deepika’s departure has overshadowed some of its success.
Since her role in Kalki, Deepika has continued to dominate major projects.
She was last seen in Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again, alongside Ranveer Singh, Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff.
She is next set to appear in King, directed by Siddharth Anand, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan and Abhishek Bachchan.
The actress will also feature in Atlee’s sci-fi film AA22 x A6 opposite Allu Arjun, marking another major cross-industry collaboration.
Despite the credit controversy, Deepika Padukone’s star power shows no signs of fading.
However, the question remains whether Kalki 2898 AD can retain its cultural momentum without her presence in its sequel.
Loading ...