Ishaan Khatter says 8-hour shift debate is an important conversation

After reports claimed that Deepika Padukone walked out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga`s film for demanding an 8-hour work shift, a debate began in the industry, with several celebrities weighing in. Ishaan Khatter is the latest to share his perspective on the issue. The Homebound actor believes it’s an important conversation to have, as working hours differ from department to department in the film industry.

Ishaan Khatter on 8-hour shift debate

Speaking with NDTV, Ishaan said, “I’ve been on sets where sometimes the protocol of time has been abused. But that is something I would say is an important conversation. People need to be considerate about others’ time.”

He explained, “To be considerate is to understand that it’s a very privileged position to be in as an actor – to be able to say that I’m okay to work these many hours. But there are people in the crew who come in an hour before you, and they have to pack up and leave later.”

He added, “It takes them longer to go back home, so you need to be considerate of the working environment, and decisions should be taken accordingly. That’s one thing.” Ishaan noted that some people in Bollywood focus only on getting the job done without thinking about working hours.

“But what we do is a profession of passion, and often you see people consensually wanting to finish the day’s work and not go home without completely fulfilling their creative vision. It happens. But yeah, I think the important thing is to be considerate of everybody’s time and effort,” he said.

Deepika Padukone on working hours in film industry

Meanwhile, after weeks of discussion about her exit from Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD, Deepika Padukone addressed the issue. Speaking on World Mental Health Day while celebrating 10 years of her foundation, Live Love Laugh, she reflected on the need for systemic change in the Indian film industry.

Talking to CNN-TV18, Deepika said, “I’ve been very vocal about this — that slowly but surely, I’m focused on bringing change in the workplace as far as the Indian film industry is concerned because it’s brutal. We have a tendency to work in a ‘chalta hai’ way. If something has been working for so long, people don’t want to change it. But I’ve never been that person — I’m always looking for ways to do better.”

When asked about the headlines surrounding her, she said, “By virtue of being a woman, if that comes across as being pushy, then so be it. But it’s no secret that many male superstars have been working 8-hour days for years — Monday to Friday, no weekends — and it’s never made headlines.”

She added, “The larger issue is that while the Indian film industry is called an industry, it’s never really functioned like one. We’re very disorganised, and it’s time to bring structure into our work culture.”

When asked if she has support from other women, Deepika said, “I know a lot of women and new mothers who’ve also started working 8-hour shifts. But that surprisingly didn’t make headlines either.”