Deepika Padukone is shifting her focus from acting to producing for the upcoming Hindi remake of the 2015 Hollywood hit The Intern. The actress, who had been attached to the project for nearly five years, will no longer play the lead role and will instead produce the film under her KA Productions banner.
Originally, the Hindi version was to star Deepika alongside the late Rishi Kapoor. Following Kapoor’s death, Amitabh Bachchan joined the cast. Now, with Deepika stepping back from acting, a new leading lady will be cast to play the role she was once slated for.
According to reports, she will “oversee the creative and logistical reboot” and The Intern will be the first of five projects she plans to mount in the coming year, aiming for globally relevant stories.
This move comes after Deepika exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, reportedly over creative differences and demands related to working hours, profit-sharing, and language requirements. She was replaced by Triptii Dimri in the Prabhas-led film.
Recent rumours also claimed she might leave Kalki 2 due to requests for shorter workdays post-motherhood. However, sources close to production dismissed these reports, noting the film is still in development with no shooting or cast changes yet.
Deepika was last seen in Singham Again (Diwali 2024) and welcomed her daughter Dua with husband Ranveer Singh in September 2024.
