The Hindi film industry has been involved in a debate over fixed working hours for actors. 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. Now, veteran actor Rajendra Chawla has shared his view on the matter.
Speaking to the Bollywood Bubble YouTube channel, Chawla shared, “I understand that, but if you are coming into this industry, you have to realise from the first day that this is the way it works. You have to accept the fact that the shifts go on for 12–14 hours because the volume of work has increased a lot.”
“For example, one has to deliver 22–25 minutes of content for daily soaps. Now, amidst all that, agar aap yeh chochle paalte rahenge (if you’ll keep worrying about these things) that ‘I will work for 8 hours or 5 hours,’ then how will the work get finished? If you entered this race, then you have to run according to it. If you can’t accept that, then go to a 9-to-5 job and stay happy there. No one has forced you to be here. It’s better to sleep tired than to sleep frustrated,” Chawla further continued.
Chawla shared that the quality of facilities actors get on set has changed for the better, recalling a time when even actors like Amitabh Bachchan would sit wearing their full costume under the sun. Chawla said, “Things for actors have got so much better now. Everyone has their vanity and their entourages. Women used to change out in the open and behind trees during our time. There were no air-conditioned makeup rooms or floors. People like Amitabh Bachchan would be sitting wearing their full costume under the sun. Nowadays, people go to their vanity if they don’t have their shot.”
He further gave an example from his own life and shared, “Once a supervising producer came to me while I was working on Saas Bina Sasural. He told me, ‘Sir, we never hear a complaint about you. You never say anything.’ I told him, ‘What should I complain about? When I used to go for theatre shows, we would sleep in rooms filled with insects. They used to give us durees (rugs) to sleep on. You guys have given me a vanity van, fruits, and a bedsheet with my name on it—what should I complain about?’”
