Ishaan Khatter Joins Debate On Deepika Padukone’s 8-Hour Shift Demand: 'It's A Very Privileged Position To Be In...'

Deepika Padukone's demand for an 8-hour work shift, along with her removal from Spirit and the Kalki 2898 AD sequel, has grabbed everyone’s attention and sparked a widespread debate. Celebrities are joining in to share their viewpoints. The latest to weigh in is Ishaan Khatter, who addressed the 8-hour workday demand, stating that it's a very privileged position to be in as an actor and able to say, "I’m okay to work these many hours." He also revealed that he has witnessed sets where the time protocol were often abused. 

Ishaan Khatter On Deepika’s 8-Hour Shift Demand

Ishaan believes that people should be considerate of the working environment and others' time. In a recent interview with NDTV, the actor said, "I’ve been on sets where sometimes the protocol of time has been abused. But that is something I would say is an important conversation. People need to be considerate about others’ time."

Further explaining his point, the actor stated, “To be considerate is to understand that it’s a very privileged position to be in as an actor – to be able to say that I’m okay to work these many hours. But there are people in the crew who come in an hour before you, and they have to pack up and leave later. It takes them longer to go back home, so you need to be considerate of the working environment, and decisions should be taken accordingly, I think. That’s one thing."

He continued, "But what we do is a profession of passion, and often you see people consensually wanting to finish the day’s work and not go home without completely completing their desire and imagination, and letting it come to life the way they want. So it happens. But yeah, I think the thing that’s important is to be considerate of everybody’s time and effort."

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What Is Deepika Padukone 8-Hour Shift Debate?

The controversy began after Deepika's exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's upcoming movie Spirit, starring Prabhas, allegedly due to her demand for an eight-hour workday. This quickly went viral and promoted discussions about working hours in the film industry. This came after the actress became a mother to her daughter, Dua. Following her exit from Spirit, she was also dropped from Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2, as announced by the makers in the official statement, citing a "commitment" issue.

This is to officially announce that @deepikapadukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel of #Kalki2898AD.

After careful consideration, We have decided to part ways. Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership.

And a film like…

— Vyjayanthi Movies (@VyjayanthiFilms) September 18, 2025

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Meanwhile, Ishaan Khatter is basking in the success of his latest film Homebound, co-starring Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan. Thanks to its powerful storyline and performances, the film has been selected as India's official entry for the Oscars 2026.