What Deepika Is Saying Isn’t New: Maharaj Director Siddharth P Malhotra Recalls Kajol, Rani Mukerji Working 8-Hour Shift For Years

The 8-hour work shift in the film industry has been grabbing headlines ever since the very public fallout between Deepika Padukone and Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Maharaj director Siddharth P Malhotra has weighed in on the ongoing debate and asserted the importance of work-life balance. The filmmaker shared his experience of working with the likes of Rani Mukerji and Kajol, who placed the same demands years ago.

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Kajol, Rani Mukerji demanded an 8-hour workday long back 

In a conversation with IANS, Siddharth P Malhotra cited the example of his directorial Hichki and shared that the film was completed in 28 days with all actors and crew working only an 8-hour shift. He recalled, “Every film has its own requirement. We shot Hichki with Rani and the kids in 28 days with 8-hour shifts. Everyone—from actors to spot boys—was aligned."

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Defending Deepika Padukone in the raging debate, Siddharth added, "Kajol used to do 8-hour shifts even back in 2010. Rani does it too. So what Deepika is saying isn’t new. If a director needs a certain actor and they can only give 6 hours a day, so be it. It’s about aligning expectations. It's not about ego; it’s about efficiency.”

For the unversed, a row erupted when Deepika Padukone bowed out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's directorial, Spirit. It is being alleged that one of the actress's demands was that she would not work for over 8 hours, as she had to tend to her family as a new mother. However, since the director refused to accept her request, she quit the project. The actress or the filmmaker has not confirmed the speculation yet, but it has sparked a conversation about the importance of work-life balance for actors.  

Earlier in an interview, Kajol asserted that the producers she has worked with have been supportive of her demands and let her leave the sets if an emergency situation came up. She also added that she plans her work in a way that she does not end up working for 20-30 hours and revealed being supported by her mother, Tanuja Mukherjee, and husband Ajay Devgn.