Deepika Padukone recently made her exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit. Out of the many reasons cited for her removal from the project, one of them was Deepika's demand for an 8-hour work shift.
The controversy sparked a work-life balance debate in the industry, with several people such as Mani Ratnam, Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan coming out in defence of the actress. Now, director Anurag Basu has also extended his support to Deepika Padukone.
In an interview with Firstpost, Anurag said, "I also don't like long-hour shifts at work. My actors never complain about long hours or stress at work. So, I absolutely agree with what Deepika Padukone had to say. It's a film; I never give my actors a chance to complain about this."
He added, "I want my actors to be very happy on set and know their character well. I don't give too much information to them before the shoot begins. Let them discover their roles, and this is the method I have been following for ages."
Earlier, Vikrant Massey voiced his support for Deepika Padukone.
He said, "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."
The actor stated that he might lower his fees as he will be working less hours.
"I will have to reduce my fees as I will be working for eight hours and twelve hours. If I cannot give my producer twelve hours a day, I cannot go out there and not reduce my fee," he said.
Vikrant concluded, "As a young mother, I think Deepika deserves it."
Deepika Padukone reportedly quit Spirit due to creative differences and disagreements over certain demands, including an 8-hour workday, profit-sharing and substantial compensation. Following her departure, Triptii Dimri has taken over Deepika's role in the film.