Ever since Deepika Padukone’s exit from ‘Spirit’ and then ‘Kalki 2’, there’s an ongoing debate on the eight hour shift. Reports suggested that the makers were not okay with some of Deepika’s demands which reportedly included an eight hour shift. This led to a discussion within the South and Hindi film industry and many actors, producers, directors have opened up on it. Several senior industry members have dismissed the demand as impractical, and actor Rajendra Chawla has now added his voice to that side of the debate. In a recent interview, Chawla remarked that while such fixed hours may exist in the corporate sector, those unable to cope with the realities of the film and television industry should reconsider their choice of profession. He said in an interview with Bollywood Bubble, “I understand that, but if you are coming into this industry, you have to realise from the first day that this is the way it works. You have to accept the fact that the shifts go on for 12-14 hours. Because the volume of work has increased a lot.”Elaborating further, he said, “For example, one has to deliver 22-25 mins of content for daily soaps. Now amidst all that, agar aap yeh chochle paalte rahege (if you’ll keep worrying about these things) that ‘I will work for 8 hours or 5 hours’, then how will the work get finished? If you entered this race, then you have to run according to it. If you can’t accept that, then go to a 9-5 job and stay happy there. No one has forced you to be here. It’s better to sleep tired than to sleep frustrated.”Chawla also pointed out that working conditions for actors have improved significantly compared to when he began his career. He noted, “Things for actors have got so much better now. Everyone has their vanity and their entourages. Women used to change out in the open and behind trees during our time. There were no air-conditioned makeup rooms or floors. People like Amitabh Bachchan would be sitting wearing their full costume under the sun. Nowadays people go to their vanity if they don’t have their shot.”Sharing a personal anecdote to underline his argument, the actor recalled, “Once a supervising producer came to me while I was working on Saas Bina Sasural. He told me, ‘Sir, we never hear a complaint about you. You never say anything.’ I told him, ‘What should I complain about? When I used to go for theatre shows, we would sleep in rooms filled with insects. They used to give us durees (rug) to sleep on. You guys have given me a vanity van, fruits, and a bedsheet with my name on it, what should I complain about?’”Meanwhile, Deepika also had spoken about it. She said in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar India, “We’ve normalised overworking. We mistake burnout for commitment. Eight hours of work a day is enough for the human body and mind. Only when you’re healthy can you give your best. Bringing a burnt-out person back into the system helps no one. In my own office, we work eight hours a day, Monday to Friday. We have maternity and paternity policies. We should normalise bringing children to work.”
About the Author
