Motherhood has been enjoyable for Deepika Padukone and her young daughter, Dua. The Fighter actress hasn't been seen on large screens in a long time; Singham Again was her most recent performance. Deepika appears to be ready to return to work with a bang. The popular Bollywood actress will star opposite Prabhas in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit. Additionally, she might receive the largest pay of her career for this project. Deepika might receive a higher pay cheque than several of her male co-stars, including her husband Ranveer Singh. India Today reported that Deepika will receive Rs 20 crore for her involvement, although the news has not been formally confirmed. Given this, she might rank among the highest salaries for a female lead in Indian cinema.
"Originally, Spirit was to begin by the end of 2024, and thus, Deepika had turned down the offer, as the timelines were not matching due to her pregnancy," Pinkvilla had cited a source as stating. The actress has finally agreed to join Spirit after Vanga presented her with an updated shooting schedule due to the timetable delay. The source also mentioned that it's the best-written female character in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's universe. Deepika was taken aback by the nuances in both her character and the screenplay. She is thrilled to be working with Sandeep Reddy Vanga for the first time and has enjoyed the role.
The Spirit is reportedly in the last stages of scripting, and filming is scheduled to begin in October of this year. Prabhas was hurt while filming Fauji, which caused the shoot to be postponed from its intended January date. Spirit, backed up by Bhadrakali Pictures and T-series, is slated for release in 2027. In the meantime, Deepika Padukone is working on the Kalki 2898 AD sequel.
Deepika Padukone may appear in Shah Rukh Khan's King in addition to Spirit. Arshad Warsi, Abhishek Bachchan, and Suhana Khan are also in the Sidharth Anand-directed film. King will be released in theatres in 2026.