Disputes arose before the release of the film 'Spirit,' directed by Sandip Reddy Vanga, starring Prabhas and Trupti Dimri. The film's producer, Pranay Reddy Vanga, openly challenged critics, stating that they could attack the film in theaters after its premiere.
Pranay, Sandip's brother, noted that critics might try to 'kill' 'Spirit' with their reviews after the release. He made this statement while discussing his recent film 'Romanchakam' (2026), which was released in theaters on September 3rd and received mixed reviews. Discussing the criticism, Pranay questioned how easily film reviews are written and spoke about the difficulties involved in filmmaking.
According to 'The Indian Express,' he stated: 'If you are involved in production, you understand how much effort the director puts into realizing the vision and what difficulties arise during production.'
He further added that if critics wished, they could try to 'kill' (the spirit/enthusiasm) of the team's upcoming film. Pranay continued: 'They plucked feathers from a chicken egg. If they are truly capable of doing something, we will see when 'Spirit' comes out. We will see when it comes out.'
'Spirit' is the first joint project between Prabhas and Sandip Reddy Vanga. It is expected to be an action-drama in which Prabhas plays a strong police officer. Deepika Padukone was initially supposed to play the role opposite Prabhas, but Trupti Dimri was later included in the project. Vivek Oberoi and Prakash Raj also play important roles in the film.
Several weeks ago, during the trailer presentation of 'Romanchakam,' Sandip Reddy Vanga stated that due to the violent and intense content in 'Spirit,' an adult rating was expected.
'Spirit' has been constantly in the spotlight because of its main cast. Initially, there were rumors that Deepika left the project due to work schedule restrictions, which paved the way for Trupti, who gained fame through Sandip's film 'Animal.' However, producer Pranay Reddy Vanga later explained this transition by saying it involved issues of payment and timelines. He also claimed that Deepika demanded a 10% share of the film's profits. He said: 'The reason is the same as before. Firstly, it was payment, and secondly, timelines. Additionally, there were other reasons. Soon the situation got out of control.'
Pranay added: 'Look, she can demand anything. If we want to give, we can give. But accounting for the budget is also important to us. We felt that things weren't clicking. So we started looking for other options. As soon as we started looking for alternatives, she began leaking all the details.'
Nevertheless, it is known that 'Spirit' will be released in theaters on March 5, 2027.

