Following rumours that Deepika Padukone left Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit, the long-running discussion about work-life balance in the Indian film industry has been rekindled.
Sources claim that the actor's request for a more balanced work schedule—more precisely, an eight-hour workday—as well as for profit-sharing and language considerations was turned down.
She reportedly left the project as a result of the rejection. Vikrant Massey, her co-star in Chhapaak, has now expressed his support for these forward-thinking changes in the industry.
In a recent interview with Firstpost, Vikrant addressed the viability of implementing a shorter workday on film sets, something rarely seen in Bollywood’s traditionally gruelling schedules. “I aspire to do something like that very soon. Maybe in a couple of years… I want to go out and say, we can collaborate, but I would only work for eight hours,” he stated candidly.
However, he acknowledged that such a shift would need to be rooted in mutual understanding between the actor and the production team: “But at the same time, it should be a choice. And if my producer cannot accommodate that—because there are also a lot of other things involved when you are making a film…”
Vikrant also highlighted the financial realities that accompany such a shift in work culture. “Money plays a very important role, and I will have to reduce my fees as I will be working for eight hours instead of twelve,” he said, adding, “If I cannot give my producer twelve hours a day, I cannot go out there and not reduce my fee. I ought to reduce my fee. It’s a give-and-take, right?”
Showing support for Deepika, who recently became a mother, Vikrant remarked, “And as a young mother, I think Deepika deserves it.”
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Deepika was initially paired with Prabhas in Spirit, but after her terms were allegedly rejected, Animal actor Triptii Dimri took her place.
On the work front, Vikrant Massey is preparing for the romantic drama Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, which is based on Ruskin Bond's The Eyes Have It. The Santosh Singh-directed movie, which stars Shanaya Kapoor, opens in theatres on July 11.
In the meantime, Deepika and Allu Arjun will soon co-star in Atlee's action-packed AA22×A6.
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