Rashmika Mandanna Reacts To Industry’s Work Hour Debate: 'I Overwork, Don’t Do It'

Amidst film industry work-hour debates sparked by Deepika Padukone, Rashmika Mandanna, preparing for "The Girlfriend," advocates for work-life balance.

Amidst film industry work-hour debates sparked by Deepika Padukone, Rashmika Mandanna, preparing for "The Girlfriend," advocates for work-life balance.

Source : IMDb

For the past few weeks, Rashmika Mandanna has been making headlines—first for her engagement to Vijay Deverakonda, then for her recently released film Thamma. Now, the actress is busy preparing for her upcoming project, The Girlfriend.

Recently, the film’s producer Sreenivasa Kumar lauded Rashmika’s dedication and professionalism, revealing that she never imposed any work-hour restrictions. His statement came amidst the ongoing debate surrounding work timings in the film industry, which gained attention after reports of Deepika Padukone’s alleged 8-hour shift demand for Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit.

Addressing the topic, Rashmika shared her perspective on maintaining a healthy work-life balance and the importance of rest, admitting that overworking is “not sustainable.”

“Overworking Is Not Good. Don’t Do It.”

Reflecting on her packed schedule and lack of sleep, Rashmika said, “I think us glorifying the fact that we overwork is not good. I overwork, and I'm telling you, it's highly not suggestible. Don't do it. It's not sustainable. Don't do it. Do what is comfortable for you, do what is right for you. Get those 8 hours, get those 9-10 hours also because trust me that's going to save you in the later ages.”

The actress went on to explain that while she understands the pressures of filmmaking, she often ends up pushing herself beyond limits.

“As in, I have seen a lot of these conversations recently where people are like ‘okay, you know, work timing’ and all of that. I've done it both. And I'm telling you, this is not worth it. As in, of course, it's a responsibility that you have. I tend to overwork myself because I take on so much more than a normal human being can and should."

She continued, "But I'm also not someone who will tell my teams that I can't do something for them. If I know that they are struggling and they're like ‘no we have this location only till now and we have to shoot so much in this time’ and all of that, I understand and I'll give in.”

“Please Don’t Make Us Actors Do That”

During her conversation with Gulte, director Rahul Ravindran remarked that long working hours are common in the industry, saying, “It's almost everyday in cinema.” Rashmika agreed, adding, “Yeah, that's almost every day in cinema. And that's the love and respect I have for my teams. But if I could choose for myself, I would say ‘please don't make us actors do that, because there's a lot that's going on’.”

She further emphasised that the issue isn’t limited to actors alone. “Not even actors. Directors, lightmen, music, everyone, just have, like you know how office time is 9 to 6 or 9 to 5 or 9 to 4, let us have that. Because there's still a family life that I want to focus on, there's still my sleep that I want to get in, I still want to work out so, you know, later on I'm not regretting that I wish I was, you know, healthy and fit and working out when I was younger. I'm still thinking about my future. But right now I don't have a say because I'm taking on too much on myself.”