Sandeep Reddy Vanga found his lead actress in Deepika Padukone for his upcoming film Spirit. The deal, however, collapsed after the duo reportedly had a fallout over remuneration and work hour disagreements.
Since then, conversations around work-life balance have been rampant in the film industry. Now, Vikrant Massey has shared his perspective on the topic.
The actor, who will next be seen in Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, has voiced his support in favour of Deepika Padukone. The two have worked together in the 2013 film Chhapaak.
Vikrant Massey, in a conversation with Firstpost, 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. And if my producer cannot accommodate that, because there are also a lot of other things involved when you are making a film. Money plays a very important role and I will have to reduce my fees as I will be working for eight hours and twelve hours.”
He added, “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 Deepika deserves it.”
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh welcomed a baby girl, Dua, on September 8 last year.
When asked about his past, X-post, where his “taking a break” from acting was misinterpreted as him retiring from films completely, Vikrant Massey had a befitting reply.
The 38-year-old clarified, “I still feel work-life balance is very, very important. I had put that tweet out because I wanted to go back home and spend some time with my kid and my wife and my family. And, it is imperative that we go back home and recalibrate, not just as actors, as people.”
His concluding words were, “I think we are all running at such a speed. I don't know what, but the idea is to sort of just ground yourself and recalibrate yourself, find your centre again, and I think that only happens with family.”
Coming to Vikrant Massey's Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, the romantic drama also marks Shanaya Kapoor's Bollywood debut. The film will premiere on July 11.