Mumbai: Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has dropped a bombshell by announcing that she will not be playing the lead role in the Indian remake of The Intern.
A new actress will be cast in the role that Padukone was originally set to perform. However, she will remain attached to the project as a producer.
The remake of the 2015 Hollywood film starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway—where Padukone was to star opposite veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan—will now proceed without her in front of the camera. While stepping away from acting in the film, she will continue to lead its creative and production efforts through her banner, Ka Productions.
The film was first announced in 2020, with Rishi Kapoor originally cast alongside Padukone. Following Kapoor’s passing, Bachchan joined the project, but production was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Padukone’s maternity break, and scheduling conflicts.
Producers have yet to confirm who will replace Padukone in the role first portrayed by Hathaway.
When the project was announced in 2020, Padukone had described it as “an intimate, relationship-driven film, set in and around the workplace; a story that I believe is very relevant to the present-day social and cultural environment. I have been looking for a light, breezy comedy-drama and this story fits in seamlessly. I cannot wait to begin this journey.”
Padukone’s decision marks a turning point in her career, underscoring her growing focus on producing content-driven cinema.
