Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone reportedly stepped away from the Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's upcoming action drama film 'Spirit', last month, over certain working demands, including an ‘eight-hour workday’. For the unversed, the film 'Spirit' stars Baahubali actor Prabhas and Triptii Dimri in key roles. It is slated to hit the silver screens in 2026. Now, filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra, who directed Junaid Khan’s debut movie 'Maharaj' last year, has commented on this matter and backed Deepika Padukone in the Spirit controversy.
The Kal Ho Na Ho director clarified that eight-hour shifts aren’t new and have been demanded by female actors years ago. In a conversation with IANS, Siddharth said, "We finished Hichki, the whole film, in 28 eight-hour shifts. Whether it was Rani (Mukerji), the kids, the cameramen or the spot boy, everyone finished in that time."
Director supports Deepika Padukone in Spirit controversy
Malhotra also noted that each film and director have their own requirements, but added that similar work hour requests were made in the past by the actors. "It's been happening for years. When I’d shot with Kajol in 2010, she used to do eight-hour shifts. She made it very clear she’d either come for 10 am to 6 pm or 7 am to 2 pm or for an eight-hour shift at night. Rani also did the same. Deepika isn't demanding anything new," he added.
The filmmaker also mentioned that if an actor has mentioned these work requirements from the beginning, it's up to the director to decide whether it aligns with the film's requirements or not. He said, "If I need an actor and am confident I can finish the film within those working hours, I’d work with them even for six hours a day. This isn’t actor-specific. People are just gaining publicity in the name of Deepika Padukone. She's asking for family time, what wrong is she demanding?"
Work front
Talking about his work front, Bollywood filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra's last directorial project was Netflix's 'Maharaj', which features Jaideep Alhawat, Junaid Khan and Shalini Pandey in the lead roles. He is currently working on his untitled project with Parineeti Chopra.
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