Sandeep Reddy Vanga is known not only for his violent, emotionally charged cinema but also for the storm of controversy that seems to follow him—particularly when it comes to high-profile women in the film industry.
With just two Hindi films to his name, Sandeep Vanga has already clashed with three powerful female voices: Anupama Chopra, Kiran Rao, and now, Deepika Padukone. His women trilogy of controversies is complete.
As he gears up for his third and most ambitious film, Spirit, with Prabhas, the pattern seems to be repeating itself.
In 2019, Sandeep Vanga’s Kabir Singh was slammed for glorifying toxic masculinity. In a now-infamous interview with film critic Anupama Chopra, he defended the film by suggesting that a slap in a relationship could be an expression of intense love.
The statement triggered widespread backlash, with many accusing him of romanticizing abuse. Still, Kabir Singh went on to become one of the year’s biggest blockbusters.
Fast forward to early 2024—filmmaker Kiran Rao publicly criticized the misogyny in mainstream Indian cinema, citing Kabir Singh and Animal as examples where stalking and aggression were dressed up as romance.
Sandeep Vanga clapped back, referencing her ex-husband Aamir Khan’s film Dil, and accusing critics of selective outrage. Kiran Rao later clarified that her remarks weren’t aimed at any one film, but the controversy had already made headlines. Animal also soared at the box office despite the backlash.
Now, as Spirit heads into production, Sandeep Vanga appears to be at odds with another Bollywood powerhouse—Deepika Padukone.
After Deepika’s exit from Spirit, Sandeep Vanga posted a cryptic but clearly hostile tweet about an actor playing “dirty PR games.” Industry insiders widely believe the remark was aimed at Deepika. She has since been replaced by Triptii Dimri, reportedly for a significantly lower remuneration.
The tweet has since gone viral. Whether this approach is a calculated marketing tactic or simply part of his temperament, one thing is clear: the filmmaker thrives in the eye of the storm. So far, the controversies have done little to hurt his box office track record.
The real test will be Spirit. Can it beat the commercial highs of Kabir Singh and Animal, or will the mounting controversies finally catch up with him? However, we believe that unless Spirit turns out to be a terrible film, it is sure to break box office records.
