Back in 2020, Deepika Padukone picked up the rights to adapt the popular Hollywood film The Intern for Hindi audiences, announcing she’d star alongside Rishi Kapoor.
After Kapoor’s untimely passing, Amitabh Bachchan was brought in, but the project stalled and faded into the background. Now, there’s another shake-up: reports say Deepika has decided to step away from acting in the film. She’ll stay on as a producer but won’t appear onscreen.
Has Deepika Padukone quit The Intern remake?
According to Midday, Deepika Padukone is shifting her focus entirely to production for this project. The filmmakers now plan to cast a new lead actress opposite Amitabh Bachchan, and after years of delays, it looks like the movie may finally start shooting soon.
Deepika hasn’t made an official statement yet.
For anyone who missed it, the original The Intern came out in 2015 and starred Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro. Hathaway played the founder of a fashion e-commerce startup, while De Niro played a 70-year-old widower who joins as an intern.
When Deepika Padukone announced acquiring rights for The Intern
In the Hindi version, Deepika was supposed to take on Hathaway’s role, with Rishi Kapoor as the intern. After Kapoor’s passing in 2020, the film was put on pause.
Then, in 2021, Deepika announced she’d be teaming up with Amitabh Bachchan (her co-star from Piku) for the remake. But soon after, the pandemic’s second wave hit India, and the project was shelved yet again.
Now, with Deepika recently becoming a mother, she’s reportedly being more selective about her roles and wants to spend more time with her daughter Dua. Even so, she’s committed to getting The Intern adaptation off the ground, aiming to start filming with the new cast and Bachchan in 2026.
In the meantime, Deepika has a packed schedule—she’ll appear in the next instalment of Kalki 2898 AD, star opposite Allu Arjun in Atlee’s upcoming film, and has a major part in Shah Rukh Khan’s next project, King.
