The Hindi film industry has been involved in a debate over fixed working hours for actors and the crew. Several actors, producers, and directors have shared their views on the debate. While many supported
Deepika Padukone’s demand for an 8-hour work shift for actors, a few called the demands unnecessary. Actor Ashutosh Rana, however, backs Deepika Padukone.
Rana told The Free Press Journal, “I believe that creative work should not be done beyond eight hours. If you want the best of the best, you must understand this. Eight hours is a good amount of time; work can be completed in eight hours. If your pre-production is strong, if you are sorted, and if you have clarity about what you are going to shoot, then believe me – you can create magic in eight hours.”
“If you stretch beyond eight hours, it affects the quality of your work. This is entirely a game of energy and strength. Not everyone has the capacity to work for twenty hours and then rejuvenate in the remaining four hours. Stretching for a day or two is fine sometimes, but if stretching becomes a habit, then you must accept that it will affect your delivery. I am a strong believer in the idea that the eight-hour time slot should be mastered,” he said.
The actor mentioned, “Discussions about the script, scene blocking, and planning should happen in the office. Not that once you reach the set, you say, ‘Okay, let’s do this – this scene wasn’t there, so let’s modify it like this.’ If the captain of the ship is clear, then believe me, there will be no need to work beyond eight hours.”
He explained, “Even if someone is a hardcore fitness enthusiast and you tell them, ‘You work out for three hours daily, now do it for ten hours,’ they won’t be able to do it. That is why it is said that if you have a seven-day workout routine, work out for four days and give your body rest for three days. Emotional recovery, mental recovery, and physical recovery are all important.”
“We don’t want to cheat you. You don’t cheat us when it comes to money or roles, so why should I cheat you during delivery by working half-heartedly or with half energy? I want to work wholeheartedly. And to be able to work wholeheartedly, a recovery period is absolutely essential,” he concluded.
