Ishaan Khatter supports Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour workday demand; says, 'Protocol of time has been abused'

The debate over working hours in Bollywood has reignited following Deepika Padukone’s reported demand for an eight-hour workday — a condition that allegedly led to her exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit. The discussion has since sparked industry-wide introspection about the long, grueling hours that actors and technicians face on sets. Now, actor Ishaan Khatter has joined the conversation, calling it an “important and necessary discussion.”

In an interview with NDTV, Ishaan reflected on the issue of time discipline within the film industry, admitting that many productions often stretch beyond reasonable limits. “I’ve been on sets where sometimes the protocol of time has been abused,” Ishaan said. “But that is something I would say is an important conversation. People need to be considerate about others’ time.”

Ishaan emphasised the need for fairness and structure. “It is a privileged position to say that I’m an actor and I can work only as many hours, but they should be considerate of it. Acting is a work of passion. Sometimes we see actors go beyond their shift and see their passion realised,” he said.

Deepika Padukone’s stance has become a major talking point across the industry. Speaking to Brut earlier this year, she defended her demand, pointing out the hypocrisy in how similar conditions are accepted for male stars but questioned for women. “In the Indian film industry, there are a lot of male actors who have been working on an 8-hour shift for years, and it has never made headlines,” she said. “I don’t think what I’m asking for is ridiculously unfair. I think only someone who has worked in the system enough will know the conditions that we work in.”