New mom Deepika Padukone’s exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Spirit’ over a number of working hours in a day and contract disputes sparked a larger conversation about fixed working hours across Indian film industries. In a recent interaction, actor Rana Daggubati shared his perspective on the matter, offering a nuanced take on balancing work culture and economic realities. Rana argued that while striving for work-life balance is valid, one must also consider India’s developmental status, which may demand more effort and longer hours to reach certain standards.
He also pointed out that work hours vary significantly from one film industry to another and even from project to project. He explained to ‘The Lallantop’, “We should understand that India is a developing country. We are not a developed nation. Our economy is probably 186th in the world if you look at the per capita income. I come from the Telugu film industry which moved from Madras. It was a bunch of families and hundreds of others who packed bags and left one city and started work in another city. So, to me, it is not work, it is a lifestyle. It also depends on project to project and person to person and each state has a lot to govern that.”
He then explained how working hours vary across different film industries and said, “Like in Maharashtra it is a 12-hour shift, in Telugu it is an eight-hour shift. In Maharashtra, you start at 9 am, but in Telugu, we start at 7 am. The location and city, whether it is shot on a set or in a studio, also add to that factor - it isn’t generic. You need more preparation to shoot on a set, while the studio gives you comfort. So, it depends from project to project. You are seeing it as a generic statement, it is not.” He added, “In a country that has 1.8 billion people and 70-80 percent of those earn Rs 100 a day and we start seeing things in that light, we will realise that we have a big place to catch up.”
When asked about actors being forced to stay on set for longer hours, Rana responded, “Nobody is forcing anybody. It is a job. As nobody can force you, ‘You have to do this show’. It’s a choice. Everyone has an opinion on what is important in their life. There are actors who shoot for only four hours and but that is their system of working.”