Deepika Padukone becomes Atlee’s ‘lucky charm’ as buzz builds around ambitious new film

The excitement surrounding Deepika Padukone’s collaboration with director Atlee has reached a fever pitch, with fresh details emerging in late January 2026 that have only intensified fan anticipation. Speaking about their upcoming project, tentatively titled AA22xA6, Atlee publicly referred to Deepika as his “lucky charm”, further cementing the significance of their creative partnership.

The filmmaker, who delivered one of the biggest blockbusters of recent times with Jawan, described working with Deepika as an “unbelievable” experience, crediting her presence with adding a distinctive creative energy to his films. Their earlier success has set high expectations, and this new collaboration is already being positioned as one of the most ambitious pan-Indian projects in development.

What adds to the intrigue is that AA22xA6 will mark Deepika Padukone’s first major project after embracing motherhood. Atlee has teased that audiences will see her in a completely new light, promising a “very different” on-screen avatar that departs from anything she has done before. The prospect of such a transformation has sparked widespread curiosity across fan communities.

The scale of the project is equally headline-making. Starring Allu Arjun alongside Deepika, the film is being described as a massive entertainer powered by advanced technology and extensive visual effects. Atlee has revealed that the team is spending “sleepless nights” crafting a cinematic experience set across two distinct universes, with ambitions that draw comparisons to the global spectacle of the Avatar franchise.

Beyond this high-octane venture, Deepika’s upcoming slate continues to impress. She is also set to reunite with Shah Rukh Khan in King, slated for a December 2026 release, adding another major collaboration to what is shaping up to be a landmark phase in her career.

With one project pushing the boundaries of scale and visual storytelling and another rekindling one of Bollywood’s most celebrated on-screen pairings, Deepika Padukone’s next chapter appears nothing short of cinematic.