On Tuesday, Dharma Productions’ head honcho Karan Johar announced his next production venture, featuring Deepika Padukone, Ananya Panday and Siddhant Chaturvedi in central characters. Produced by Karan Johar, the upcoming movie will be directed by Shakun Batra who has previously helmed Ek Main Aur Ek Tu (2012) and Kapoor & Sons (2016).
Ananya Panday, who made her acting debut with Dharma Productions’ Student of the Year 2 (2019), is quite psyched up about working with Deepika Padukone. During a recent interview, the newcomer said, "I am really delighted that I can finally tick it off my wish list now. The film is really of a different genre, where there will be some romantic drama. It is something that I have not done before and I am looking forward to."
The actress, whose latest film Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019) is still running successfully in several cinemas across the world, went on to add, "Deepika Padukone is an actress I truly love and I also really enjoyed watching Siddhant in Gully Boy (2019). Moreover, I am working again with Dharma Productions, which feels like home and I am really happy about it. I'll forever be grateful to Karan Johar. My director Shakun Batra, I believe, is one of the finest in the industry and he has been the dream director I have always wanted to work with."
Meanwhile, Ananya Panday is currently working on Khaali Peeli, produced by filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar. The actress has been paired opposite Ishaan Khatter in the film. This is the first time when the duo is working together on a project. Directed by Maqbool Khan, Khaali Peeli is reportedly a remake of the Telugu film Taxiwaala (2018) starring southern heartthrob Vijay Deverakonda. It is scheduled to release on 12th June 2020.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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