"We mistake burnout for commitment."
Deepika Padukone has again spoken out about unorganised and excessive work hours in the Indian film industry.
The actress has spent much of this year pushing for clear work policies, especially for women and new mothers.
She said the industry has normalised burnout and called for long-term reform:
“I feel strongly about how new mothers need to be supported when they return to work. That’s something I want to focus on.”
Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar, Deepika raised concerns about the way overwork has become accepted as part of the job.
She said: “We’ve normalised overworking. We mistake burnout for commitment. Eight hours of work a day is enough for the human body and mind. Only when you’re healthy can you give your best.
“Bringing a burnt-out person back into the system helps no one.”
Deepika also revealed that her own production office follows strict guidelines:
“In my own office, we work eight hours a day, Monday to Friday. We have maternity and paternity policies. We should normalise bringing children to work.”
Deepika admitted that motherhood had changed her perspective:
“Every cliché is true.
“When mothers say, ‘You’ll understand when you become one’, it’s true. I have so much more respect for my mother now.
“You can plan how you think you’ll navigate work and motherhood, but the reality is very different.”
Earlier in 2025, she explained the realities of film-set labour. Deepika said her request for an eight-hour day was not extreme:
“I don’t think what I am asking for is ridiculously unfair and I think only someone who has worked in the system enough will know the conditions that we work in.
“And I am saying this, if I may say so myself, a top star, so you can only imagine what the working conditions must be like for everyone else, for the crew, for example.”
Deepika addressed the gender bias she sees in how work demands are discussed.
“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.
“A lot of them only work for eight hours Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends.”
The debate over working hours gained traction when Deepika Padukone left Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit after her request for an eight-hour workday was denied.
It resurfaced when it became public that she would not return as Sumathi in the Kalki 2898 AD sequel.
Several industry figures have backed her push for regulated work hours.
Actors and filmmakers, including Vikrant Massey, Kajol, Saif Ali Khan, Neha Dhupia, Mani Ratnam, Vinay Pathak, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Kabir Khan, have supported the call for standardised eight-hour shifts on sets.
Loading ...