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Sandeep Reddy Vanga opens up on Spirit poster; Prabhas calls it ‘cult’: ‘Both husband and wife are drinking’

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Sandeep Reddy Vanga opens up on Spirit poster; Prabhas calls it ‘cult’: ‘Both husband and wife are drinking’
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Why it matters

Earlier, Deepika Padukone was cast opposite Prabhas in the film, but she exited the project after her demand of 8-hour shift and other logistical concerns were not met by the makers.

Key takeaways

  • It has to be something so, yeah.” Lauding Vanga’s approach, Prabhas said, “It is my best poster till now.
  • The film is mounted on a reported budget of Rs 300 crore and is directed by Maruthi.
  • The poster, which shows Triptii Dimri lighting a cigar for a wounded Prabhas, instantly sparked massive buzz and fan theories online.

Prabhas and Triptii Dimri in the first poster of Spirit.

While fans are eagerly waiting to see Prabhas in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, excitement around the film has been sky-high ever since its poster went viral on social media. The poster, which shows Triptii Dimri lighting a cigar for a wounded Prabhas, instantly sparked massive buzz and fan theories online. While fans continue to wait for Spirit, they will be treated to another Prabhas release with The Raja Saab, which is hitting theatres on Friday.

Recently, as part of The Raja Saab’s promotions, Sandeep Reddy Vanga sat down with Prabhas for a conversation about his films. During their interaction, Vanga revealed how he came up with the now-iconic Spirit poster and addressed the many interpretations surrounding it.

Talking on the YouTube channel People Media Factory, Sandeep clarified that while fans assumed the glass vessel Prabhas is holding in the poster is a drinking glass, it is actually a bottle. He said, “That’s a 1 litre bottle, it is looking like a glass in his hand. People also thought that another glass is placed on the railing, and both husband and wife are drinking in the poster.” During this conversation, Sandeep also hinted that Triptii and Prabhas play the role of husband and wife in the film.

Talking about how the poster idea came to him, Prabhas asked Vanga, “The idea of the poster is crazy. How did you get that idea?” He responded, “That is cut from a scene of the film, and I thought how should I present him after Baahubali? It has to be something so, yeah.” Lauding Vanga’s approach, Prabhas said, “It is my best poster till now. No doubt. It is a cult poster.”

Along with Prabhas, The Raja Saab also stars Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Nidhhi Agerwal and Malavika Mohanan, marking her Telugu film debut. The film is mounted on a reported budget of Rs 300 crore and is directed by Maruthi. The Raja Saab has already minted Rs 4 crore in advance sales in India ahead of its theatrical release.

Meanwhile, Spirit is being positioned as a hard-hitting, intense action drama and marks Prabhas’ first collaboration with Sandeep Reddy Vanga. It is produced by T-Series and Bhadrakali Pictures. Earlier, Deepika Padukone was cast opposite Prabhas in the film, but she exited the project after her demand of 8-hour shift and other logistical concerns were not met by the makers. This was followed by Vanga taking a jibe at her on social media. Later, he announced that Triptii will be replacing Deepika in the film.

The Indian ExpressVerified

Curated by Aisha Patel

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Publisher: The Indian Express

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Published: Jan 8, 2026

Read time: 3 min

Category: India