Ali Fazal Weighs In On Deepika Padukone’s Spirit Exit And Industry’s Working Hours Debate: 'This Is Not A Corporate Job'

Deepika Padukone's exit from "Spirit" sparked industry debate on actor schedules and working conditions. Ali Fazal emphasises that filmmaking isn't a corporate job and requires mutual understanding.

Ali Fazal emphasises that filmmaking isn't a corporate job and requires mutual understanding.

Source : Instagram

Deepika Padukone’s decision to exit Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit has stirred a wider conversation within the industry around actor schedules, working conditions on set, and expectations from performers—especially in high-budget productions.

The incident has prompted reactions from several celebrities. While actors like Ajay Devgn, Kajol, and Sonakshi Sinha have supported Deepika, filmmakers such as Kussh Sinha, Suneel Darshan, and Mohit Suri have taken a more critical view of the backlash against directors.

Now, actor-producer Ali Fazal has added his voice to the ongoing discourse in an interview with SCREEN.

“This Is Not a Corporate Job,” Says Ali Fazal

Ali Fazal, who recently co-produced Girls Will Be Girls with his wife Richa Chadha under their banner Pushing Buttons Studios, offered his nuanced take on the matter.

Claiming he’s not fully up-to-date with the specifics of the debate, Ali said, “I am pro everybody being satisfied. At the end of the day, we are creators. This is not like a corporate job. No offence to them, but it is not. Creating things takes a lot of compassion. It needs to be mutually decided between actors, creators and technicians, ‘What is the displacement of the hours in that particular project.’”

“Each Project Has Its Own Rhythm”

Ali emphasised that film production cannot follow a fixed template due to the varying nature of each project.

“Sometimes, some projects don’t require much because it is VFX-heavy. Some projects require more because it is action, and drama. The genre changes the working style. That’s the kind of industry we are in. You can’t put a template. This is all subjective. This is not for others to discuss and throw their opinions. It is harsh asking people to take sides. It is not fair.”

Kussh Sinha On Deepika Padukone Debate

Previously, Kussh Sinha shared his perspective in a conversation with Zoom, saying, “An actor is not the only stakeholder in a film. There’s the producer, director, DOP, production manager, location manager, and many more who are equally important to the process.”

Kussh, the son of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, added, “If an actor insists on working only a certain way, and this is discussed and agreed upon beforehand, then great. But if it’s power play, ‘my way or the highway,’ I don’t think that works. A film is a collective effort, and one person dictating timelines can create issues.”