Days after the makers of Kalki 2898 AD (2024) announced that Deepika Padukone would not be a part of the sequel as they could not find a “partnership”, the actor seemingly hit back with an Instagram post. Over the weekend, she shared a picture from the set of Shah Rukh Khan’s King and noted that “the experience of making a movie, and the people you make it with, matter far more than its success.” This has reignited the chatter around what led to the falling-out between Padukone and Vyjayanthi Movies, which is backing Kalki 2. While the actor’s fee hike and stipulated working hours were said to be part of the reason (All the dope behind dropping DP, September 20), one now hears that Kalki 2’s delays and eventual scheduling conflicts with King also led to them parting ways. 

Shah Rukh Khan