Nag Ashwin clarifies Deepika Padukone’s replacement in Kalki 2

Deepika Padukone played the central female lead in director Nag Ashwin’s blockbuster “Kalki 2898 AD.” While Prabhas headlined the film, Deepika portrayed Sumati, the woman carrying the child who is destined to become Kalki.

The sequel, “Kalki 2,” is now underway, with shooting already in progress. However, Deepika Padukone is unlikely to return for the second installment. The differences between the actress and the producers have led to the two sides parting ways.

This has sparked speculation about who will replace her. Rumors have suggested that Sai Pallavi could step into the role, while some reports claimed that the character itself might be written out of the sequel.

Addressing these rumors in a recent YouTube interview, Nag Ashwin said, “We will make a decision (Sai Pallavi). We cannot remove the character of Sumati because Kalki has to be born, and the story is about him.”

While the director did not deny the possibility of Sai Pallavi joining the cast, he remained non-committal about her involvement. The team is likely to make an official announcement at a later stage.

Currently, Nag Ashwin is filming portions that do not require Prabhas. He has already completed several scenes involving Kamal Haasan and Amitabh Bachchan, who reprise their roles as Yaskin and Ashwatthama’s mentor figure, respectively.