Actor Deepika Padukone broke her silence after a row emerged over her demand for an 8-hour shift following her exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga‘s Spirit and Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2. Speaking with CNBC-TV18, Deepika shared how “male superstars” have been doing an 8-hour shift for years, but it “never made headlines.”

Deepika Padukone exited two films this year, Kalki 2898 AD sequel and Spirit.(Instagram/ deepikapadukone) Deepika Padukone exited two films this year, Kalki 2898 AD sequel and Spirit.(Instagram/ deepikapadukone) Deepika Padukone reacts to row over her 8-hour shift demand

In the interview, Deepika reacted when she was told she was facing a lot of pushback for her decision. She said, “By virtue of being a woman, if that’s coming across as being pushy or whatever, then so be it. But it is no secret that a lot of superstars, male superstars, in the Indian film industry, have been working for eight hours for years, and it’s never made headlines.”

Deepika says male actors have been working for 8 hours for years

“I don’t want to take names now and make this into a whole thing, but it is very commonly, publicly known that a lot of male actors have been working for eight hours a day for years. A lot of them only work for eight hours Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends,” she added.

Deepika said that even though the Indian film industry is “termed as an industry, we have never really worked like an industry”. She added that it’s “a very disorganised industry”, saying she thinks “it’s time we brought in some system into this culture.”

Deepika’s exit from Spirit, Kalki 2898 AD sequel

The actor found herself in a row after she exited Spirit, reportedly over wanting to work not more than eight hours a day during the shoot so that she could be with her daughter, Dua. However, her demands weren’t met, and she exited the film.

Recently, Vyjayanthi Movies announced that she is no longer a part of the Kalki 2898 AD sequel. In their statement, they said that they decided to part ways with Deepika after “careful consideration,” adding that a film like Kalki deserves a higher level of “commitment.”

About Deepika’s upcoming films

Deepika began her shooting for King just a few days after her exit from the Kalki 2898 AD sequel. Directed by Siddharth Anand, King stars Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan, and Abhishek Bachchan, among others. Deepika will star in Atlee’s upcoming film AA22xA6 alongside Allu Arjun.