Actor Amrita Puri defends Deepika Padukone against backlash for 8-hour-shift demand

Actor Amrita Puri has come out in support of Deepika Padukone amid the ongoing debate around working hours in the Hindi film industry. Addressing the controversy over Padukone’s reported demand for an eight-hour shift, Puri said the actor was being “overly scrutinised” and argued that the reaction would likely have been very different had a male star made the same request.

Speaking to Rediff, Puri described the discussion as part of a larger issue surrounding working conditions on film sets. She also linked the backlash to gender bias in the industry, saying the controversy had been “blown out of proportion” despite similar arrangements reportedly existing for male actors for years.

Why is Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour shift demand being discussed?

The conversation around Deepika Padukone’s reported work-hour conditions gained momentum after reports surrounding her exit from Spirit, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. According to reports, some of the actor’s conditions, including an eight-hour shift following motherhood, allegedly did not go down well with the filmmaker.

Her reported exit from the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD further fuelled the discussion, turning the issue into a wider industry conversation about work-life balance and shooting schedules.

What did Amrita Puri say?

Drawing from her own experience, Amrita Puri said long and unpaid working hours remain common in the entertainment industry. “There are times where I have done 16-hour shifts or all-nighters, and I have not got paid for it,” she said, calling the practice problematic.

Puri also claimed that some commercially successful male actors already have fixed eight-hour clauses in their contracts, but such details rarely attract public attention. “If it was a man, it wouldn’t be in the papers,” she said, adding that the reaction reflected a patriarchal mindset.

What did she say about motherhood and work?

Puri further defended Padukone’s reported request by saying there was nothing wrong with a new mother seeking support while continuing her career. She said actors should not be expected to choose between motherhood and remaining professionally active.

The debate has since sparked wider conversations online about working conditions, gender expectations and contractual norms within the film industry.