Konkana Sen Sharma backs Deepika Padukone's 8-hour shift demand: ‘We're not neurosurgeons dealing with life-and-death'

Konkona Sen Sharma weighed in on an 8-hour shift for actors in the film industry, citing that even actors need a break and a weekly off.

Actor Deepika Padukone’s exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD sparked conversations about fixed working hours for actors in the film industry. Many actors came out in support of Deepika’s demand for an eight-hour shift. Now, in an interview with News18, Konkona Sen Sharma has also backed Deepika, further expressing her thoughts about having a weekly day off.

Konkona Sen Sharma backs Deepika Padukone's 8-hour shift demand.

Konkona Sen Sharma on 8-hour work shift in film industry

Konkona doubled down on the importance of fixed working hours in the film industry and said, “I do think that ideally, there should be humane working hours across the industry. I mean, we are not neurosurgeons dealing with life-and-death situations. Of course, one has to take care that the people financing the project do recover their money because that’s important, and it is equally important that we remember we are working with human beings who need something called bio breaks.”

She added that although actors do not mind making exceptions, more regulated working hours are needed in the industry. She said, “We need breaks from time to time. We do make exceptions occasionally, like when we have a 12-hour shift that often gets stretched to 14–15 hours. But I do think there should be more regulated working hours and at least one day off weekly; it would be more productive as well.”

After Deepika Padukone’s reported exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Prabhas’ Spirit, there were rumours that the actor had demanded an eight-hour work shift and a share in the profits of the film, which allegedly did not sit well with the director. She was later replaced by Triptii Dimri in the film.

Recently, the makers of Kalki 2898 AD, Vyjayanthi Movies, announced that they had parted ways with Deepika for the sequel, stating that the film needed “commitment” — a remark many on the internet perceived as a dig at Deepika’s professionalism. Soon after, reports surfaced claiming that Deepika had demanded seven-hour shifts and additional pay for every extra hour worked. The reports also alleged that she requested five-star accommodation for her entourage and a salary hike compared to what she received for the first film.

In a recent interview with CNBC-TV18, Deepika addressed the controversy surrounding her request for an eight-hour workday and pointed out how male superstars have been following the same schedule for years without attracting similar scrutiny. She said, “By virtue of being a woman, if that’s coming across as being pushy or whatever, then so be it. 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.”

Konkona Sen Sharma’s recent work

Konkona was most recently seen in the web series Search – The Naina Murder Case. Helmed by Rohan Sippy, the show also stars Surya Sharma, Shiv Panditt, Shraddha Das, Iravati Harshe, and Sagar Deshmukh in key roles. The series received mixed reviews from critics and is available to stream on JioHotstar.