While reports are rife that actress Shraddha Kapoor is no longer a part of Ekta Kapoor ’s upcoming thriller , director, Rahi Anil Barve ( Tumbbad), who is supposedly directing the movie has seemingly called the reports rumours. “These are all rumours. Everything is a rumor,” Barve told Bombay Times. When asked directly about Shraddha’s exit, he didn’t confirm or deny it but offered a cryptic comment: “Right now all I can say is that I'm finishing Rakt Brahmand . I am working on my next. That's it.”
As per a report in PeepingMoon, Kapoor reportedly sought a substantial upfront fee of Rs. 17 crore, plus a share of the film's profits. However, Ekta Kapoor allegedly deemed this amount too steep, citing concerns about the financial feasibility of a women-centric film in the current theatrical landscape. Shraddha's proposed remuneration was among the highest in Bollywood for an actress, which would have significantly impacted the film's budget, making it a challenging prospect for producers. The makers have now begun recasting the lead and are in talks with several top actresses. Furthermore the report also suggested that Shraddha is evaluating multiple offers across industries and is said to be in discussions with Dinesh Vijan, Boney Kapoor, and Bhushan Kumar. An official announcement on her next is expected within two months.
Meanwhile Barve has resumed pre-production on his series Rakt Brahmand — a fantasy period drama starring Aditya Roy Kapoor, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Ali Fazal — which had halted filming due to a financial irregularity on set. With revised scripts, the series is set to go on floors next month in Mumbai. Barve is expected to shift focus to Ekta’s thriller only after wrapping the web project.
Shraddha’s team and Ekta Kapoor did not respond to requests for comment.