Preity Zinta weighs in on Bollywood's work hours debate: ‘Worked 18-hour shifts on Vibe to return to kids in US sooner’

Preity Zinta spoke about the ongoing debate about work shifts and long working hours for actors in the Hindi film industry at the trailer launch of Vibe.

After being away from the film industry for almost a decade, actor Preity Zinta is looking forward to her second film release in as many months. Following her comeback to acting with Batwara 1947, the actor will now star in Kunal Kemmu's Vibe. At the film's trailer launch on Wednesday, the actor opened up about the long working hours she voluntarily chose for the project.

Preity Zinta returned to acting with Batwara 1947, and will be seen next in Vibe. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

Preity Zinta on working 18 hours a day

“Each to his own”, said Preity on the debate around long working hours in the film industry at the event, revealing that she worked for up to 18 hours a day on Vibe to finish shooting early. Preity, who will be seen in an action avatar in the Kunal Kemmu-directed spy comedy, said she decided to put in long hours because she had travelled to India for a limited period to complete the shoot.

“Every day we had very long shoots. So, each to his own and of course, the reason I was working 18 hours is that I wanted to finish my work as soon as I could and go back to America to be with my kids,” she told reporters at the trailer launch event of Vibe in Mumbai on Wednesday.

The debate around working hours in the film industry began last year when reports claimed that Deepika Padukone opted out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit due to a dispute with the makers over her request to limit her working hours to eight per day.

Preity, 50, said she spent every day working on the film and did not step out socially during her stay in India. “It's not always that everyone is laughing on set. You want to get the job done. There was a lot of action. There were many other variables. Sometimes it was raining. Sometimes you were sick. So, keeping all that in mind. So my whole thing was, 'I don't mind doing this.' Because I'm coming to India. And I'm here for 30-40 days.”

All about Vibe

Vibe is Kunal Kemmu's follow-up to his 2024 hit directorial debut Madgaon Express. He stars as a man reluctantly drawn into a secret mission. The film also stars Laapataa Ladies-fame Sparsh Srivastav, along with Vanshika Dhir, Yashpal Sharma and Dinesh Lal Yadav in pivotal roles.

Produced by Kunal Kemmu and Chirag Nihalani under the banner of Drongo Films, Vibe is an Amazon MGM Studios film. It will be released in theatres on September 18.