The conversation around limited working hours in the Hindi film industry has intensified following reports that Deepika Padukone exited director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit because the makers did not let her have 8-hour workdays. Among the voices supporting a reform in Bollywood’s hectic schedules is actor Vikrant Massey, who recently expressed solidarity with Deepika’s stance. Vikrant, who shared the screen with Deepika in Meghna Gulzar’s Chhapaak, acknowledged the challenges of implementing an eight-hour workday in a high-stakes industry like Bollywood, but also expressed a personal commitment to push for change.
He shared that he would like to do something similar in the next couple of years and told Firstpost, “I aspire to do something like that very soon. Maybe in a couple of years… I want to go out and say, we can collaborate, but I would only work for eight hours. But at the same time, it should be a choice. And if my producer cannot accommodate that, because there are also a lot of other things involved when you are making a film…”
He further emphasised that fair trade-offs are necessary if the industry is to adopt more humane working conditions. “Money plays a very important role, and I will have to reduce my fees as I will be working for eight hours instead of twelve. If I cannot give my producer twelve hours a day, I cannot go out there and not reduce my fee. I ought to reduce my fee. It’s a give-and-take, right? And as a young mother, I think she (Deepika) deserves it.”
As it has been widely reported that Deepika was initially set to star opposite Prabhas in Spirit, but according to several reports, her departure came after Sandeep Reddy Vanga allegedly declined several of her requests, including an eight-hour workday, a share in the film’s profits, and the flexibility to avoid delivering her lines in Telugu. She has since been replaced by Animal star Triptii Dimri. Amidst this entire controversy, several celebrities, including Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Saif Ali Khan, Neha Dhupia, Mani Ratnam, Vinay Pathak, Pankaj Tripathi, and Kabir Khan, have come out in support of Deepika’s demand for an 8-hour shift.
Vikrant is gearing up for the release of Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, which marks Shanaya Kapoor’s Bollywood debut. Deepika has recently signed Atlee’s next reincarnation-themed action film starring Allu Arjun and will reportedly also be seen in Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming King, directed by Siddharth Anand.
