Work-Life Balance Debate in Bollywood Intensifies as Deepika Padukone Shares Views on Industry Challenges

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Deepika Padukone, the Indian film industry diva, has come out in the open about the scandal, which has been a hot topic since her exit from Spirit and the Kalki 2898 AD sequel. 

The buzz was that she was leaving, as she wanted to work only eight hours a day. Deepika, in a talk with CNBC-TV18, stressed that her asking was not rare. Many top male actors in the Hindi movie industry have been on the same schedule without being in the limelight.

Deepika Urges Structured Work Hours in Bollywood

Deepika stated, "By virtue of being a woman, if that's coming across as being 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 eight hours for years, and it's never made headlines."

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She further clarified, "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 eight hours a day for years. A lot of them only work for eight hours Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends."

Addressing the industry's operational challenges, Deepika Padukone remarked, "Even though the Indian film industry is termed as an industry, we have never really worked like an industry." She described the industry as "very disorganized" and expressed the need for systemic changes to improve its functioning.

Deepika Exits Films Over Work-Life Balance

Deepika's decision to leave Spirit was reportedly influenced by her attempt to balance her professional obligations with her maternal duties to her daughter, Dua. It is reported that the company did not agree to her demand for a planned work schedule, leading to her quitting the film.

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Upon her departure from Kalki 2898 AD sequel, the producer, Vyjayanthi Movies, declared that they had parted ways with Deepika due to a lack of common ground in their expectations.

The studio's statement mentioned needing to maintain a "higher level of commitment" for the sequel, implying that Deepika's work-life balance priorities did not align with the project's requirements.

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Will Deepika’s Stance Reshape Bollywood Work Culture?

However, Deepika continues to be a busy bee in the film industry. She has a film lined up with Shah Rukh Khan and Suhana Khan, named King, and has also arranged a project with Atlee and Allu Arjun. These projects will likely have a more structured working schedule that aligns with Deepika's professional standards.

Deepika's stance has sparked discussions about work-life balance and gender dynamics in the Indian film industry. Her comments shed light on the evolving expectations of actors and the need for industry-wide reforms to accommodate modern set ethics.