Actress and politician Kangana Ranaut is widely known for her outspoken nature, often sharing her strong opinions on a range of issues and making headlines for her candid remarks. In the latest interview,
the actress came forward and reacted to the 8-hour shift debate. The whole discussion around it started after Deepika Padukone took an exit from Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD sequel and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit. The debate continued for months, with several celebrities weighing in and sharing their views on fixed working hours in the entertainment industry.
Now, Kangana Ranaut, during her conversation with ANI, shared her views on the ongoing debate and came out in support of Deepika Padukone, who embraced motherhood in 2024. The actress said that Deepika has earned the right to set her own terms. Kangana said, “I don’t think there should be an issue created out of this because if you see where she (Deepika Padukone) is coming from, she has earned that place. She has a daughter, she’s a mother now, and the topmost actress. If today she is keen to work for eight hours, she has earned it.”
During the same chat, Kangana recalled a conversation she had with Deepika when she was working on Imtiaz Ali’s film. “Deepika and I, when we were together, she said that they were working on Imtiaz’s film or something. She said, ‘We have a 12-hour shift.’ In response, I said that I work for only 10 hours. She’s like ‘That’s amazing’. So there was a time when we wouldn’t settle for anything less than 12-14 hours because we were ferocious. We wanted it. We were at it. We were going for it. We wanted to be successful and wanted all these things,” she added.
Kangana Ranaut further explained that when someone is new in the industry, they are still finding their footing and are more easily replaceable, which puts them in a different position. However, she noted that Deepika, given her stature and experience, is now in a place where she can set her own terms. She added that as a mother with a family to look after, Deepika has earned the kind of respect where people are willing to adjust to her schedule, even if it means working around her eight-hour shifts.
Earlier, Deepika Padukone addressed the controversy surrounding her exit from Kalki 2 and Spirit, highlighting how the 8-hour shift was being made out to be a big issue because she was a woman.
Interestingly, after she exited the pan-Indian films, Deepika announced King with Shah Rukh Khan. The film, also starring Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Raghav Juyal, and Rani Mukerji, is set to release on 24th December 2026.
