Did Deepika’s ‘fee hike’ lead to Kalki 2898 AD exit?

In a surprising turn, Deepika Padukone exits ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ sequel due to alleged commitment issues, as announced by Vyjayanthi Movies. Scheduling conflicts with Prabhas’ other projects like ‘Fauji’ and ‘Spirit’, coupled with reported fee hike demands of Rs 25 crore, led to the parting. Director Nag Ashwin was reportedly upset with the negotiation process.