Deepika Padukone Backs Support For New Working Mothers, 8-Hour Workday: We’ve Normalised Overworking

Earlier

this year, Deepika Padukone left the South projects Spirit and the Kalki 2898 AD sequel after wanting more time to spend with her young daughter, Dua. Since then, there have been concerns raised about working only eight hours a day on a film set. Recently, Deepika reiterated her support for working mothers, saying they need to be supported. The actress also shared why she decided to go public with her struggles with mental health.

Deepika Padukone states eight hours a day is enough for work

In a new interview with Harper's Bazaar India, Deepika spoke up again for eight-hour shifts. She said, "I feel strongly about how new mothers need to be supported when they return to work. That’s something I want to focus on. We’ve normalised overworking. We mistake burnout for commitment. Eight hours of work a day is enough for the human body and mind. Only when you’re healthy can you give your best. Bringing a burnt-out person back into the system helps no one. In my own office, we work eight hours a day, Monday to Friday. We have maternity and paternity policies. We should normalise bringing children to work."

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The actress also stressed that as she grew older and became a mother, time was of utmost importance to her. She added, "For me today, success is physical and emotional well-being. Time is our greatest currency—how I spend it, who I spend it with, and having the freedom to decide that. That, for me, is success."ALSO READ: Ranveer Singh Talks About On-Screen Chemistry With Wife Deepika Padukone: There's Authenticity, That's Priceless

Deepika Padukone on mental health awareness

Apart from supporting new mothers, Deepika is continuing to lead the fight for better mental health. She shared that by speaking up and starting her Live Love Laugh Foundation, awareness and destigmatisation have gotten better. However, she felt that accessibility and affordability needed to be addressed next. She stressed, "We don’t have enough qualified therapists, counsellors, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists to meet the need. That’s where I want to help."