When Kangana backed Deepika’s 8-hour shift demand

Kajal isn’t the only actress to have backed Deepika. Earlier, Kangana Ranaut had echoed similar sentiments. Speaking to ANI, Kangana said, “Both Deepika and I are born in 1986, and we started our careers around the same time, in 2006-07. Where she stands today is something she has earned. Today, she is the topmost actress. If she wants to work for just eight hours, she has earned that.”

Recalling their early days in the industry, Kangana shared, “I remember we were doing the same interview on Aamir Khan’s show Satyamev Jayate. She mentioned working 12-hour shifts for an Imtiaz Ali film. I told her I worked 10 hours, and she said, ‘That’s amazing.’ Back then, we wouldn’t settle for anything less than 12 to 14 hours. We were hungry, driven and wanted success. To each their own.”

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She further explained, “When you’re new and replaceable, your position is different. But where she is today—being a mother and having a family—she has earned a space where people should say, ‘We want her,’ and adjust accordingly, even if it means working around her eight-hour schedule.”

Kangana also argued that expecting women to juggle demanding careers while shouldering responsibilities at home takes a toll on their well-being.

“With women working today, we expect them to do double the work—professionally and at home. This pressure affects their mental and physical health. Conversations around falling fertility rates and collapsing marriages are linked to this. We need to give women that space.” She concluded by urging a shift in perspective, saying, “We should not take away the joy of being a woman—the feminine energy. Society needs to support that balance.”

What is this eight-hour shift demand all about?

Deepika’s demand for an eight-hour workday became a major talking point after reports emerged that she exited two high-profile South Indian projects—Spirit, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD, directed by Nag Ashwin. While multiple reasons were cited for her departure, one of the most widely reported was her request for an eight-hour shift following the birth of her daughter, Dua, as she sought to maintain a healthier work-life balance.

When Deepika Padukone called-out industry’s double standards

Addressing the controversy, Deepika told CNBC-TV18, “By virtue of being a woman, if that’s coming across as 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.”

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

Deepika will next be seen alongside Shah Rukh Khan in King. She will also be seen in Atlee’s next, also starring Allu Arjun. She is currently expecting her second child.