When ₹20 crore isn't enough: Inside Deepika Padukone and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit breakup

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Daily Breakdown

With annual earnings of ₹60 crore, Deepika Padukone makes ₹23,07,692 for every standard 8-hour workday—putting her in the top tier of India’s entertainment income bracket.

Shift Value

On the Spirit project, Deepika’s rate would have been ₹40,00,000 per 8-hour shooting day, based on a ₹20 crore fee spread across 50 shoot days.

Per-Hour Rate

Each hour of her time on Spirit was effectively valued at ₹5,00,000—more than what many television actors earn per episode.

Contract Terms

Her Spirit agreement reportedly included a strict 8-hour daily cap and clauses for additional payment if the shoot crossed 100 days.

Revenue Ratio

The ₹20 crore she would’ve earned from Spirit alone represented one-third of her annual income—signaling the high financial stakes of her participation.

Walkout Cost

By exiting Spirit, Deepika forfeited ₹20 crore in potential earnings—making it one of the costliest walkouts by a lead actress in recent Bollywood history.

Budget Impact

Deepika’s per-day rate of ₹40 lakh likely constituted a significant portion of Spirit’s casting and production budget.

Industry Standard

Her Spirit pay rate was markedly above average for female leads in India, who typically command ₹5–15 crore per film depending on stature.

Deal Collapse

The reported clash over ₹20 crore fees and 8-hour workdays was central to the breakdown between Deepika and director Sandeep Reddy Vanga.