Deepika Padukone has finally broken her silence over her demand for an 8-hour shift, which caused a rift with the makers of Spirit and the Kalki 2898 AD sequel, leading to her subsequent exits from these high-profile projects. During a conversation with CNBC TV 18, on the sidelines of an event celebrating 10 years of her foundation, Live Love Laugh, the Padmaavat actress called out the "double standards" of the Indian film industry and the discrimination female actors have been facing for ages.
What Deepika Padukone Said About the 8-Hour Shift Demand
When asked about the 8-hour shift controversy, Deepika told CNBC TV 18, "By virtue of being a woman, if that's coming across as pushy or whatever, then so be it. But it is no secret that a lot of superstars, male superstars, in the Indian Film Industry, have been working for 8 hours for years and it's never made headlines!"
Deepika added, "I don't want to take names now and make this into a whole thing, but it is very commonly, publicly known that a lot of male actors have been working for 8 hours a day for years. A lot of them only work for 8 hours from Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends."
She criticised the industry's ingrained "chalta hai" (let it be) culture, calling it disorganised and unstructured, and emphasized the urgent need for systemic change.
"While the industry is termed an industry, we have never really worked like one," she said, highlighting long hours, poor conditions, and even basic issues like food.
When asked about leading the battle on her own terms, Deepika Padukone said, "I have done this at many levels; this is not new to me. Even when it comes to pay, I have had to deal with whatever comes with it... I don't even know what to call it. But I am someone who has always fought my battles silently, and for some strange reason, sometimes they become public—which is not the way I know and not the way I've been brought up. To fight my battles silently and in a dignified way is the way I know."
Why Was Deepika Padukone Dropped From the Kalki Sequel and Spirit?
A few months ago, an unconfirmed report claimed that Deepika Padukone would not be part of the Kalki sequel. After months of speculation, the makers, Vyjayanthi Movies, confirmed the report in an X post on Thursday (September 18).
The official note on X read: "This is to officially announce that @deepikapadukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel of #Kalki2898AD. After careful consideration, we have decided to part ways."
"Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. And a film like @Kalki2898AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future projects," the note further added.
The post reminded the Internet of a similar incident in May, when Deepika Padukone walked out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit over her 8-hour work demand after embracing motherhood last year, profit-sharing clauses, and her unwillingness to deliver dialogues in Telugu.
This time, apart from a fee hike of Rs 25 crore, Deepika was accused of demanding heavy entourage costs for her 25-person crew who accompany her on set.
"Deepika Padukone wanted a 25 percent increase in her acting fee compared to what she earned for the first part of the film. Additionally, she insisted on limiting her daily shooting schedule to a 7-hour shift. The producers offered her the convenience of a luxury vanity for rest periods in exchange for longer working hours, but she declined. She wanted 5-star stays for her 25-person crew. There were just too many demands. This raised concerns among producers who questioned why they should bear additional costs beyond the actor's fees," a source told NDTV.
Deepika's Veiled Response
A day after Vyjayanthi Movies' announcement, Deepika Padukone shared an Instagram post, making her sixth collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan official in King. She wrote in the post, "The very first lesson he taught me almost 18 years ago while filming Om Shanti Om was that the experience of making a movie, and the people you make it with, matter far more than its success. I couldn't agree more and have applied that learning to every decision I've made since. And that's probably why we're back making our 6th movie together?"
The Internet assumed this was Deepika's veiled response to detractors questioning her professionalism.
Deepika's Work
Deepika Padukone played a pregnant woman called Sumathi in the multi-starrer Kalki 2898 AD. She was last seen in Rohit Shetty's Singham Again, released last Diwali.