Mani Ratnam backs Deepika Padukone, says 8-hour workday demands are fair

The recent storm over Deepika Padukone’s exit from Spirit has become a lightning rod for conversations around professionalism, work hours, and respect for personal choices in the film industry. While the exact terms of her departure from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s project remain unofficial, one point that keeps resurfacing is an 8-hour workday demand.

Veteran filmmaker Mani Ratnam has now added his voice to the discussion, calling the request not only fair but necessary. In a recent interview, he said that if an actor, especially a new mother, asks for structured hours to maintain balance between personal and professional life, that demand deserves respect, not scrutiny. “If you can accommodate it, you do. If you can’t, you cast someone else. But the demand itself is not unreasonable,” he said plainly.

Respect it or recast says Ratnam on actor work demandsGetty Images

This comes after reports claimed Deepika had set conditions before joining Spirit: limited working hours, high pay, no Telugu dialogues, and a profit share. These allegedly didn’t sit well with Vanga, leading to her exit and the casting of Triptii Dimri instead. The filmmaker later took to social media to call out what he suggested was an intentional story leak and accused unnamed individuals of playing "dirty PR games."

Meanwhile, Deepika has stayed silent, but the conversation has expanded. Several industry veterans are rallying behind her. Ajay Devgn noted that most honest filmmakers are open to 8–9-hour shoots and that such schedules are already becoming common. Saif Ali Khan, speaking at a media event, shared that success to him is about getting home in time to spend moments with his children and not staying on set late into the night.

Mani Ratnam supports reasonable work hours for actors balancing personal lifeGetty Images

Mani Ratnam’s comments carry weight not just because of his stature, but because they signal a broader shift. The industry, long known for its punishing schedules, is being urged to adapt, especially for those juggling parenthood alongside high-pressure careers.

This isn’t about privilege or rebellion. It’s about making space for humane working conditions in an industry that often forgets its people are human too. Structured schedules, fair compensation, and room for personal life shouldn’t be rare demands; they should be the baseline. And thanks to voices like Mani Ratnam’s, maybe that change is closer than it seems.