Deepika Padukone not in Brahmastra 2, actor's team shuts down casting rumours

Speculation over Deepika Padukone's involvement in Ayan Mukerji's much-anticipated Brahmastra 2 has officially been put to rest, with the actor's team stepping in to shut down the rumours entirely.

In a statement, Padukone's spokesperson made the position unambiguous: Reports linking her to Ayan Mukerji's upcoming sequel are untrue, and any claims of her being part of Brahmastra 2 or associated with the project in any capacity do not hold. The clarification arrives just days after multiple entertainment outlets reported that Mukerji and his team were actively courting Padukone to play Amrita, a central character in the franchise's mythology-driven Astraverse.

A statement by Deepika’s team read, “All recent reports of Deepika Padukone being a part of Brahmastra 2 or associated with the project in any capacity are untrue.”

The speculation wasn't entirely baseless. It was earlier reported that discussions were underway between Padukone and the makers, and other publications quickly picked up on the casting buzz that followed. The chatter gained extra traction because of Padukone's brief but memorable appearance in the franchise's first installment, Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva, released in 2022.

In that film, Padukone appeared in a short mythology-heavy sequence as Amrita, shown carrying a child while fleeing from the character Dev. Though fleeting, the scene was widely interpreted by fans as a setup connecting her character to Dev, a figure positioned as a major force within the franchise's expanding universe, fueling years of speculation about whether she would return in a larger capacity for the sequel.

Ranbir Kapoor, who leads the franchise as Shiva, had previously spoken publicly about excitement building around the characters of Dev and Amrita, though he stopped short of confirming who would ultimately play either role.

With this latest statement, that door appears closed, for now. The clarification means the recent speculation about Padukone taking on a major role in the sequel shouldn't be treated as confirmed, and no official announcement has indicated she'll return as Amrita.

With Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt expected to remain at the center of the sequel, Mukerji's team has yet to officially confirm who will step into the role of Amrita.