The debate over enforcing structured, 8-hour workdays in Indian cinema has intensified ever since Deepika Padukone stepped away from Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD Part 2.
The conversation, which began in Bollywood earlier this year, has now moved across industries, prompting candid reactions from those who navigate film sets daily. In a recent chat with THR India, actors Rana Daggubati and Dulquer Salmaan weighed in on whether an 8-hour shift is even feasible.
Rana Daggubati Weighs In
When Rana Daggubati was asked about the ongoing debate around structured working hours, he first laughed, before explaining why he believes such a system cannot function in filmmaking. "This is not a job, it's a lifestyle. You either choose to be in it or not. Each film will govern and ask for something else," he said.
He added that imposing a standardised limit would be restrictive for storytelling itself. "It's not a factory. It's not like we sit for eight hours and the best scene is going to come out. Unless the top brass involved understands that they are creating a story and are willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen, it doesn't trickle down. It's hard to define it as an industry standard," the actor said.
Dulquer Salmaan Says Long Working Days Are Cheaper
Dulquer Salmaan offered a contrasting experience, noting how each regional industry has its own rhythm. Working long, continuous days is standard practice in Malayalam cinema, he said, where the emphasis is on finishing quickly rather than working within fixed daily windows.
"In Malayalam, you just keep going, and you don't know when you'll finish. But it would've been a great, gruelling, hard day," he said. The difference struck him most when he entered the Telugu industry for Mahanati in 2018. "When I did my first Telugu film... it was the first time in my acting career that by six I could go home. It was starkly different from shooting in Tamil, where second Sundays are off."
The financial implications, he explained, are a key factor behind the reluctance to shift to 8-hour days. "I remember thinking that when I produce, I would do it differently. But there's not much you can do. Going extra hours on a day is cheaper than shooting an additional day," Dulquer said.
The broader conversation kicked off in 2025 after Deepika Padukone reportedly exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit citing the need for limited 8-hour workdays, especially as a new mother. It further intensified when she stepped away from the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD as well.
ALSO READ: Madhuri Dixit On 8-Hour Shifts Amid Deepika Padukone Row: "We Worked 12-Hour Shifts Every Day"
