Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone sparked a debate about actors’ eight-hour work shifts in 2025 when she reportedly exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. Now, Bollywood actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Ananya Panday have defended the actor’s demand, stating that it is fine to have a conversation with producers before a film begins.
Kareena Kapoor and Ananya Panday defend Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour work shift demand
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Kareena shared her views on working while taking care of children and said that, in her opinion, everything needs to be well planned and actors must be clear with producers right from the beginning. She revealed that when she was shooting for The Buckingham Murders, she made it clear to the producers that she would have to return to her children. She also said that Saif Ali Khan was with the children when she was shooting in London.
She further spoke about Deepika’s eight-hour shift demand and added that if actors are married, they need a partner who understands, as they cannot both work and leave the children alone. Kareena said that sometimes it comes down to making small sacrifices with time or even saying no to a film. “So I feel like if you are married and have children, and as a woman, if you do not want to give that time, you should be able to say that this is what I want. I can work this number of hours. I think it’s completely fine to say that way before a film starts. You have to be honest. Of course, a few days might go haywire because there’s no way that some days something might not go wrong. You need to have that openness. Not everything can go as planned. So there should be that much flexibility, otherwise it’s very difficult.”
Actor Kalyani Priyadarshan revealed that in the Malayalam film industry, there used to be a 16-hour work shift, but it has now been reduced to 12 hours. She added that cinema cannot be restricted to six hours because many things have to happen within a single day.
Ananya Panday also defended Deepika and said, “I have worked with Deepika, and before she became a mother, there was no such thing like that. She was working, coming for workshops, no complaints and no asking for anything. Now she’s a mother, this is what she needs to be present with her child in the first two years of her child’s growth. I think it’s okay to have a conversation with your producer to find a balance. It’s something that can be worked around.”
About Deepika Padukone’s eight-hour shift demand
In May 2025, Deepika reportedly exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Prabhas’s film Spirit. Soon after her exit, reports suggested that the actor had demanded a share in the profits and an eight-hour work shift, which allegedly did not sit well with the director. She was later replaced by Triptii Dimri.
In September, the makers of Kalki 2898 AD revealed that Deepika would not be part of the sequel. Reports later claimed that the fallout stemmed from the actor’s demands for a 25 per cent pay hike, a five-star hotel stay for her team and a seven-hour workday. These incidents sparked a debate about whether actors should have fixed working hours in the film industry.
In November, Deepika spoke about why an eight-hour shift is ideal in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar India. She urged greater support for new mothers in the workplace, stating that an eight-hour work shift is enough for the human mind and body and that bringing children on set should be normalised.