Deepika Padukone’s 2025 has looked a bit like a rollercoaster. Fast, surprising, and full of sharp turns. At the beginning of the year, she was leading two huge pan-India projects. Now, she is ending the year as the face of two ‘different’ big films. Somewhere in the middle, the scripts changed, the teams changed, and even Deepika herself seemed to change.
In a new interview, the actor opened up about this shift. Speaking to ‘Harper’s Bazaar India’, Deepika said something that many did not expect from one of Bollywood’s biggest stars: big-budget films no longer thrill her. What excites her now is something simpler, and possibly deeper.
“Honestly, how much more fame, how much more success, how much more money?” she said. “At this stage, it’s not about that anymore. It’s not about the ₹100-crore films, or even the ₹500-₹600 crore ones.”
The interviewer noted that she had already achieved all those milestones. Deepika smiled and replied, “And that doesn’t excite me anymore.”
Instead, she said she wants to lift other artists and be a force behind untold stories. “What excites me is empowering other talent. My team and I are now focused on that; enabling storytelling and supporting creative minds, writers, directors, and even new producers. That’s what feels meaningful to me now.”
The story behind her film exits
Her comments come after a year of headlines about her departures from major films. Earlier in 2025, reports claimed that Deepika walked out of ‘Spirit’, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Prabhas. Some reports suggested she had asked for an 8-hour shift because she is a new mother, along with a few other conditions. Soon after, the makers reportedly replaced her with Triptii Dimri.
Then came another shocker.
In August, the team behind ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ announced that Deepika would not return for the sequel. The first film, released in 2024, was one of the biggest hits of the year and featured an ensemble cast including Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan. Fans expected her to continue but the studio chose to move ahead without her.
Both exits created a wave of speculation online but Deepika’s latest interview suggests she is simply choosing projects that feel meaningful, not massive.
New films, new focus
Despite stepping away from some projects, Deepika is not slowing down. She still has two big releases coming up, both in partnership with top stars.
First, she will reunite with Shah Rukh Khan for ‘King’, directed by Siddharth Anand. The film also features Suhana Khan and is expected to release in 2026.
After that, Deepika will pair with Allu Arjun in Atlee’s next film, which is yet to be titled. The project, currently referred to as ‘AA22xA6’, is planned for a 2027 release.