‘We All Need That’: Malavika Mohanan Supports 8-Hour Work Shift

At the ABP Southern Rising Summit, Malavika Mohanan opens up about the eight-hour work shift debate, her passion for visual arts, and why Thangalaan remains a deeply personal project

Malavika Mohanan speaks on work culture, career choices and Thangalaan at the ABP Southern Rising Summit.

Source : YouTube

Malavika Mohanan participated in a session at the ABP Southern Rising Summit, where she discussed her filmography, her work across Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi cinema, and her experiences collaborating with legends such as Rajinikanth, Thalapathy Vijay and others. The Thangalaan actress also addressed the ongoing debate around the proposed eight-hour work shift in the film industry — a conversation sparked after Deepika Padukone indirectly advocated for better work-life balance following her transition into motherhood.

Malavika Mohanan on 8 hour work shifts

Reflecting on her childhood, Malavika recalled wishing her father, renowned cinematographer K.U. Mohanan, had been around more during his earlier years of work. She noted that while the eight-hour system has been adopted in several Telugu and Tamil productions, the Malayalam and Hindi film industries are yet to fully implement it.

Emphasising the need for balance, she added, "we all need that, and if that work life balance works out, it's great." Malavika also referenced Scandinavian countries that have adopted four-day work weeks and witnessed increased productivity.

The actress further opened up about her passion for visual arts, sharing that she enjoys wildlife photography and may have ventured into cinematography or photography if she hadn’t become an actor. When asked what alternate career she would have chosen, she said that "for longest time in y career, I wanted to be a documentary filmmaker," adding that it is still something she could pursue in the future.

Malavika on Thangalaan's dismal performance

Malavika, who was recently seen in Hridayapooram, currently has two major releases lined up. Speaking about the underwhelming box office performance of Thangalaan, she said, "Thangalaan was a passion project for me. The film required a lot physically, martial arts, mentally and physically in every way possible, but I loved the jouney it went through. I pushed myself so much, what my body can take, i take a lot of pride in it."

Though the film did not perform commercially, she revealed that she has incorporated the Simblam martial arts routine — which she trained in for the film — into her everyday schedule.