After Spirit, Deepika Padukone Exits The Intern Remake? Reports Suggest She Will Only Produce The Amitabh Bachchan Starrer

Deepika Padukone has been making headlines recently, but not for good reasons for her fans. In 2020, the Chennai Express actress announced that she had acquired the rights to the highly acclaimed Hollywood film The Intern and would star in its Hindi adaptation alongside Rishi Kapoor. After Rishi Kapoor’s passing, megastar Amitabh Bachchan stepped in to play the role, but the project was put on hold. Now, fresh reports suggest that Deepika has decided to step away from acting in the film and will remain involved only as a producer.

According to a report in Midday, Deepika Padukone will no longer act in the film, The Intern remake, but will remain involved as a producer. The makers will cast a new actress alongside Amitabh Bachchan, and the project will finally begin shooting after being stuck for five years.

Deepika was earlier expected to play Anne Hathaway’s role, portraying a woman who hires a retired man, played by Robert De Niro in the original. Late actor Rishi Kapoor was initially set to play this role, but after his passing in 2020, Amitabh Bachchan stepped in.

Shortly after the announcement, the second and more severe wave of COVID-19 hit the country, causing the project to be postponed again.

Deepika has not yet released an official statement on the matter.

New mom Deepika has chosen to be more selective with her scripts and spend more time with her daughter, Dua. According to the same report, she also plans to begin filming The Intern with the new actress and Big B in 2026. Earlier reports made a buzz about her stepping away from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit.

For those who don’t know, the original The Intern, released in 2015, featured Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro in the lead roles. Hathaway played the founder of a fashion e-commerce company, while De Niro portrayed a 70-year-old widower who joins her company as an intern.