Deepika Padukone Spoke Of Work-Life Balance Before Spirit Row: 'In Our Country, Taking Leaves Is Unprofessional'
Deepika Padukone reportedly walked out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's next film, Spirit, over eight-hour workday demand, spotlighting Bollywood's need for better work–life balance.
Bollywood star Deepika Padukone recently stepped away from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit, reportedly due to her request for an eight-hour workday—a firm stand that's stirring industry-wide discussions about work–life balance and crew welfare, especially for new mothers.
Deepika has long advocated for healthier working schedules. In a candid Film Companion interview earlier, she connected this fight to her own mental health journey. She said, 'That's also where I draw the line in terms of my schedule. That's the only place where I could start feeling that I'm not enjoying what I'm doing. The only other time I felt like that was when I was experiencing depression, but that's very different because you have no control over your thoughts and feelings. Many years ago, I realized the importance of finding a work-life balance. I don't intend to burnout, I'm not going anywhere."
She challenged the cultural misconception here and said, 'Somehow, in our country, including the corporate world, taking leaves or wanting time for yourself carries a connotation of being unprofessional, not hardworking or driven enough. And I disagree. You can be all of those things and still make time for yourself. How are you going to replenish and put energy back into your work if you don't?"
Deepika also spoke about protecting the crew's health and rights. 'Streamlining the hours that we work, especially for the crew… people need to be given enough downtime and rest so that they come back with better energy. That'll help you work faster and better the quality of your work too." She went on to stress fair pay: 'Step 2 is to be compensated for overtime… The crew… comes in much earlier and leaves much later. Overtime may happen but we need to find a mechanism where they're at least compensated for that on an hourly basis," she had said.
Following reports of Deepika Padukone's exit from the Prabhas-starrer 'Spirit', the makers found a new lead actress for the film. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, known for Animal and Kabir Singh, Spirit will now star Triptii Dimri as the female lead. Triptii has previously worked with Vanga on the successful film Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor.
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