Iqra Aziz Backs Deepika Padukone Amid Eight-Hour Shift Debate: ‘A Mother Striving...'

Iqra Aziz supports Deepika Padukone amid the eight-hour workday debate, urging respect for mothers balancing career and family, while Deepika calls for systemic change in Bollywood’s work culture.

Iqra took to Instagram to voice her support, sharing a clip of Deepika Padukone’s interview.

Source : Instagram/@deepikapadukone, X/@iqraazizhussain

Pakistani actor Iqra Aziz has extended her support to Bollywood star Deepika Padukone amid the ongoing discussion over eight-hour work shifts in the Indian film industry. The debate intensified after Deepika reportedly exited two high-profile projects — Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD — allegedly due to her request for an eight-hour workday.

Deepika recently addressed the controversy in an interview with CNBC-TV18, pointing out the gendered double standards in the industry. She noted that male superstars have long followed similar eight-hour schedules, yet it “has never made headlines.”

Iqra supports Deepika Padukone

Iqra took to Instagram to voice her support, sharing a clip of Deepika’s interview and writing: “The emphasis isn't on the 8-hour shift, but on her perceived demanding nature. A mother striving for work-life balance should be supported. As long as she meets her commitments, her colleagues should be team players and respect her time.”

Hansal Mehta also weighs in

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has also weighed in on the issue, highlighting the exploitative nature of extended workdays. Writing on X, he said, “In our line of work, a 12-hour day is politely called a ‘shift.’ The truth is, between the chaos of shoots, the endless commute, hurried meals and barely a few hours of broken sleep, there’s little left of us. Where does our mental health or physical well-being fit into this equation? The normalisation of 12-hour working days feels exploitative. It should be the exception, not the standard.”

Deepika on her 8-hour shift demand

Deepika’s decision to step away from Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD sparked widespread discussion. She explained that the makers of the projects requested a “higher level of commitment,” which prompted her request for shorter working hours. She said, “By virtue of being a woman, if that's coming across as being 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, publicly known that a lot of male actors have been working for eight hours a day for years. A lot of them only work for eight hours Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends.”

Describing the film industry as “very disorganised,” Deepika stressed the need for structural changes, saying, “It's time we brought in some system into this culture.”