Kareena Kapoor, Ananya Panday and Kalyani Priyadarshan rally behind Deepika Padukone's 8-hour shift stance of working

The conversation around structured working hours in the film industry has been gaining traction, especially after Deepika Padukone reportedly advocated for an eight-hour workday. Several actors have now weighed in on the debate, including Kareena Kapoor Khan and Ananya Panday, who recently shared their perspectives on balancing professional commitments with personal life.

Kareena Kapoor on setting boundaries at work

During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Kareena Kapoor Khan stressed the importance of clear communication between actors and filmmakers regarding scheduling and personal responsibilities. Recalling her experience while filming ‘The Buckingham Murders’ in London, Kareena said she openly discussed her family commitments with the producers. At the time, her husband Saif Ali Khan was caring for their children while she was away for work, and she wanted to ensure that she could return to them as planned.

Kareena believes that actors should be upfront about their expectations before signing a project.Kapoor explained, “If you are married and have children, and as a woman, if you do not want to give that time, you should be able to say that this is what I want. I can work this number of hours. I think it's completely fine to say that way before a film starts. You have to be honest."However, Kapoor also acknowledged that film shoots can be unpredictable.

“Of course, a few days might go haywire because there's no way that some days something might not go wrong. You need to have that openness. Not everything can go as planned. So there should be that much flexibility, otherwise it's very difficult,” she added.Speaking about Deepika’s demand for shorter workdays, Kareena noted that parenting often requires coordination between partners. According to her, both parents cannot always be working at the same time while leaving their children unattended, and sometimes actors have to make compromises or even turn down projects.

Ananya Panday reflects on working with Deepika

Ananya Panday also voiced her support for Deepika Padukone’s stance, drawing from her own experience of collaborating with the actor in ‘Gehraiyaan’. The 27-year-old actor pointed out that Deepika had never made such demands earlier in her career. She said the situation has changed now that the star has become a mother.“I have worked with Deepika, and before she became a mother, there was no such thing like that. She was working, coming for workshops, no complaints and no asking for anything.

Now she's a mother, this is what she needs to be present with – her child, in the first two years of her growth. I think it's okay to have a conversation with your producer to find a balance. It's something that can be worked around,” Ananya said.

Kalyani Priyadarshan highlights changes in regional industries

Actor Kalyani Priyadarshan also joined the discussion and shared insights about working conditions in the Malayalam film industry. She revealed that earlier, shoots in the industry often stretched to 16 hours a day, but the schedule has now been reduced to around 12 hours.

At the same time, she noted that filmmaking involves multiple logistical challenges, which can make extremely short shifts difficult. According to her, completing all aspects of production within a limited number of hours is not always practical.

How did the eight-hour shift debate begin?

The discussion about fixed working hours intensified in 2025 after reports emerged about Deepika Padukone stepping away from certain high-profile projects. In May 2025, the actor reportedly exited

Sandeep Reddy Vanga

and Prabhas’ film ‘Spirit’. Reports suggested that her request for profit sharing along with an eight-hour workday did not align with the director’s vision for the project. Actor Triptii Dimri was later announced as the female lead. Later that year, similar reports indicated that Deepika was no longer associated with the sequel to ‘Kalki 2898 AD’. These developments triggered a broader debate in the film industry about whether actors should have clearly defined work hours while balancing demanding film schedules.