Deepika Padukone champions 8-hour workday in Indian film industry amid pushback

In a candid conversation with CNBC-TV18 Managing Editor Shereen Bhan, actress Deepika Padukone spoke about her efforts to reform working conditions in the Indian film industry, emphasising the need for an eight-hour workday, a norm for male actors but rarely acknowledged for women.

Padukone revealed that many male superstars have long maintained eight-hour workdays, Monday to Friday, without headlines.

“If, by virtue of being a woman, that’s coming across as being pushy, then so be it,” she said, addressing public pushback. “It’s no secret that a lot of male superstars have been working eight hours for years.”

She criticised the industry’s entrenched “chalta hai” (let it be) culture, calling it disorganised and unstructured, and stressed the urgent need for systemic change.

“While the industry is termed an industry, we have never really worked like one,” she said, highlighting long hours, poor conditions, and even basic issues like food.

Padukone noted some women, including new mothers, have started working eight-hour days but without public scrutiny.

“I’m not sure if I’m the lone voice,” she admitted, remaining resolute in her pursuit of fairness.

When asked if she’s ready to pay a price for advocating change, she replied, “I’ve done this at many levels... I have always fought my battles silently, and sometimes they become public, which is not the way I know.”

What caused Deepika Padukone’s exit from Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD?

Her demand for an eight-hour workday has reportedly led to her removal from two films, Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD Part 2. She reportedly requested shorter hours, a 25% pay hike, and special accommodations, which producers deemed unreasonable.

Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga reportedly replaced her in Spirit, hinting at a breach of trust and possible script leak. Her exit from Kalki was attributed to “lack of partnership and commitment.”

The controversy sparked debate over gender bias, with supporters backing her call for better conditions, while others called her demands unrealistic.

In a broader context, as India’s corporate world debates long work hours, Padukone responded strongly to Larsen & Toubro Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s call for a 90-hour workweek, calling it “shocking” and underscoring the importance of mental health.