Deepika Padukone Confirms New Project with SRK After Kalki Exit

Deepika Padukone has officially announced her exit from the highly anticipated sequel, Kalki 2898 AD, while simultaneously revealing an exciting new project with Shah Rukh Khan titled King. In a heartfelt social media post, she emphasized the importance of collaboration and the filmmaking experience over mere commercial success, stating, “The experience of making a movie, and the people you make it with, matter far more than its success.”

In her post, Deepika shared a picture of her and Khan’s hands clasped together, marking their sixth collaboration since their debut in Om Shanti Om in 2007. She noted, “I couldn’t agree more and have applied that learning to every decision I’ve made since.” The hashtags #King and #Day1 indicated the beginning of a new chapter in their celebrated partnership.

Exit from Kalki 2898 AD

The news of Deepika’s departure from the Kalki 2898 AD sequel was confirmed by Vyjayanthi Movies through an official statement on social media platform X. The 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. Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership.”

Director Nag Ashwin also took to Instagram to post an enigmatic message alongside a fan edit of Krishna’s entry. He wrote, “You can’t change what happened, but you can choose what happens next,” which raised eyebrows among fans regarding its connection to Deepika’s exit.

Reasons Behind the Decision

Deepika’s decision to leave Kalki 2898 AD aligns with her past choices. In May 2023, she exited another high-profile project, Spirit, reportedly due to an eight-hour work requirement and profit-sharing disagreements, as well as her desire to prioritize her role as a mother and avoid Telugu dialogues. Her recent exit appears consistent with her commitment to projects that resonate with her vision and personal values.

While the discussions surrounding her departure from Kalki 2898 AD continue to spark conversations online, her fans have embraced the announcement of King. Many are eager to see the on-screen chemistry between Deepika and Shah Rukh Khan once again, marking yet another significant moment in Bollywood. As the film industry looks forward to this reunion, the anticipation for King continues to build.