After Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour work rule sparks debate, Ishaan Khatter shares his take, ‘its a privileged…’

In the glitzy and glamorous life of Bollywood, it’s usually the glittering lives of celebrities that take the centre stage; however, behind it are sleepless nights, endless retakes, and days that stretch beyond the clock. However, recently, this conversation, which was previously considered the norm, made headlines after actress Deepika Padukone stood up and allegedly demanded an 8-hour work shift. This also led to her reported exit from two major films, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD sequel. Now, Ishan Khatter has broken his silence on the debate and spoken about his take.

Deepika’s Exit and the Industry’s Reaction

As per reports, Deepika wanted to limit her working hours to eight per day so she could spend more time with her daughter, Dua. However, her request wasn’t accepted, prompting her departure from the projects.
In an official statement, Vyjayanthi Movies said they decided to part ways with her after “careful consideration,” stating that a film like Kalki “deserves a higher level of commitment.”

This further led to a larger debate across the film fraternity, with some supporting Deepika’s stance for work-life balance, while others felt that filmmaking demands flexibility.

Ishaan Khatter on working hours in films.

Ishaan Khatter recently spoke about this and said, “It’s a very privileged position to be able to say that I’m okay to work these many hours.”. He further added, “There are people in the crew who come in an hour before you, and they have to pack up and leave later. It takes them longer to go back home, so you need to be considerate of the working environment, and decisions should be taken accordingly, I think. That’s one thing.”
Ishan Khatter on passion driving cinema

Khatter also spoke about the passion that drives cinema, saying, “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 completing their desire and imagination, and letting it come to life the way they want. So it happens. But yeah, I think the thing that’s important is to be considerate of everybody’s time and effort.”

Story Highlights

1. Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour shift demand led to her exit from Spirit and Kalki 2.
2. Production house stated the decision was made after “careful consideration.”
3. Ishaan Khatter said it’s a “privileged position” to choose work hours.
4. He urged everyone to be “considerate of everybody’s time and effort.”