Ajay Devgn supports Deepika Padukone's 8-hour shifts demand that irked Vanga: ‘Honest filmmakers will not have problems'

Hindustan Times

6 days ago

Actor Deepika Padukone's reported exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit has sparked intense speculation and debate in social media in the last few days. Several anonymous sources said it was the actor's 'unprofessional' demands that led to her exit, one of them being that she would not work more than eight hours a day. Now, actor Ajay Devgn has come out in support of Deepika in the matter when he was asked to comment on this at the trailer launch of Maa. (Also read: Deepika Padukone-Sandeep Reddy Vanga row explained: Mudslinging & angry tweets over Triptii Dimri replacing DP in Spirit)
Ajay was present at the trailer launch of Maa, the new horror thriller starring Kajol in the lead. He is one of the co-producers of the film. When a reporter asked Ajay to comment on the demands of 8-hour shift that have been doing the rounds of social media ever since Deepika's reported exit from Spirit, Ajay said, 'It's not that it's not going down well with people. Most of the honest filmmakers will not have problems with it. And apart from this, being a mother and working for eight hours, most people have started working eight-nine hours shifts.'
He went on to add, "It's person to person, and I feel most of the industry understands this."
A post shared by HT City (@htcity)
Deepika had been signed for Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit opposite Prabhas earlier this year. This marked the actor's second Telugu pan-India project after Kalki 2898 AD, that also starred Prabhas. However, last week it was reported that she exited the film when her demands were not met. The actor herself has not commented on the matter. Later it was officially announced that Triptii Dimri has been cast opposite Prabhas in the film. Triptii has previously worked with Sandeep Reddy Vanga in Animal.
Next, it was Sandeep Reddy Vanga who took to X to state that the script of the film has been leaked to the media. Without taking names, he called out dirty PR games and wrote, "When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, you've 'DISCLOSED' the person that you are.... Putting down a Younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for?"
Spirit is produced by T-Series and Bhadrakali Pictures. It will feature Prabhas as a fierce and intense police officer. The film is currently in pre-production and is set to go on floors in 2025.