The 8-hour shift debate has been making waves in the Indian film industry, ever since reports emerged that Deepika Padukone had requested an 8-hour workday for Spirit, citing her responsibilities as a new mom.
The request, according to reports, led to her exit from the Sandeep Reddy Vanga-Prabhas film, with Triptii Dimri stepping in. The director's veiled jabs on social media further intensified the conversation, dividing opinions.
Several stars, including Ajay Devgn and filmmaker Ram Madhvani, have since spoken up in support of actors seeking shorter, more balanced workdays — provided expectations are set in advance. Now, Telugu actor and producer Vishnu Manchu has added his voice to the discussion, drawing from his experience producing and starring in the ambitious mythological drama Kannappa.
Speaking about how such arrangements can work smoothly, Vishnu cited Akshay Kumar, who plays Lord Shiva in Kannappa, as an example of professionalism.
“Akshay Kumar worked on Kannappa for 8 hours,” Vishnu said.
When asked if that was okay, he added, “Yeah, that was okay. We brought it in. We wanted him to portray a certain character, and we knew that he'll be working only for 8 hours. We designed our entire shoot in a way that we can accommodate him in those eight hours. If I come into a shoot and then put in clauses like I will shoot for 8 hours, then it's wrong. But if it's done beforehand and the filmmaker and actor has agreed on it, then it can be worked around.”
Praising Akshay's dedication, Vishnu added, “Before he starts shooting, he would be in his vanity, done with his makeup. Once Akshay Kumar comes on set, he never leaves. I have hardly seen him go into his vanity — maybe to use the restroom. He's always there, even when they're prepping the set, sitting, having lunch with everybody on set, and never going into the vanity.”
Kannappa, directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, also stars Prabhas and Mohanlal in key roles.
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