Deepika Padukone has been among Indian cinema’s leading stars and opened up about her departures from two major projects: Spirit Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and the sequel of sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD. According to reports, she had insisted on a regular workday of eight hours, an almost impossible proposition in the world of Bollywood. It is said that she wants to keep her work-life balance healthy, especially since she has embraced motherhood.
The makers of Kalki 2898 AD announced her departure, indicating that they could not reach a partnership on the project and hinted at the fact that “it deserves that commitment and much more.” After this post, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga cryptically started making comments, allegedly against an unnamed actor about breaking an unspoken NDA, and questioning, “is this what your feminism stands for?”
The 8-Hour Workday Debate
The actress would not speak names but openly countered an accusation with one she believed to be clearly appropriate: double standards within the industry. “In fact, I wasn’t the first one to raise this issue. There have always been so many actors, particularly the male ones, who have been doing 8-hour work for several years without it ever hitting the news,” she added.
More recently, Padukone stated that her insistence on eight hours of shooting is not “ridiculously unfair,” going on to say that it is a truth known but not widely reported that many male superstar contemporaries of hers have stuck to a limited workday for years, without ever making it to a national headline or under public scrutiny.
Challenging Industry Structure
Padukone set the whole incident against the backdrop of a disorganized and deeply entrenched culture of the Indian film industry. Why is it that a reasonable professional demand-that which is commonly accepted by top male actors-is regarded as something “pushy” or a sign of lack of “commitment” when put forward by a woman? Padukone asserts that it is precisely her refusal to yield on this issue that serves to advance the cause of systematic reform.
Her dignified yet firm stance couple with her being an actor asserting her professional rights creates scope for sorely needed reforms for an industrial culture that should have evolved to equitable working conditions for all, from its stars to its crew.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
