Ali Fazal says ‘not fair' on Deepika Padukone's 8-hour work shift demand: ‘It is harsh asking…'

Pink Villa

17-07-2025

Deepika Padukone's exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit has stirred a new debate on the work-life balance. Mirzapur actor Ali Fazal has now put forth his viewpoint and said that 'it is not a matter of taking sides.'
While speaking to Screen, Ali Fazal weighed in on the 8-hour work shift demand of Deepika Padukone and said, 'I am pro everybody being satisfied. At the end of the day, we are creators. This is not like a corporate job. No offence to them, but it is not.'
The Metro…In Dino actor went on to add that the work shift must be mutually decided within the team. He added, 'Creating things takes a lot of compassion. It needs to be mutually decided between actors, creators, and technicians, 'What is the displacement of the hours in that particular project (Spirit)?''
Ali Fazal explains how different genres require different shift hours
Ali elaborated his take and mentioned how different genres demand different work shifts, so one cannot make it a norm for everybody.
'Sometimes, some projects don't require much because it is VFX-heavy. Some projects require more because it is action and drama. The genre changes the working style. That's the kind of industry we are in. You can't put a template. This is all subjective. This is not for others to discuss and throw their opinions. It is harsh asking people to take sides. It is not fair,' he concluded.
Deepika Padukone's demands for Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit
For the unversed, Deepika Padukone was earlier in advanced talks with Sandeep Reddy Vanga to play the female lead in Spirit opposite Prabhas. However, the talks didn't materialize, leading to Vanga announcing Triptii Dimri as his new heroine. Media reports suggested that the Piku actress walked out of the project because of multiple demands. One such demand was a 6 to 8-hour work shift.
Reportedly, other demands included not dubbing in the Telugu language, a hefty pay cheque of Rs 40 crore, and a share in the profits.
Later, Deepika Padukone signed Allu Arjun's mega-budgeted movie, A22×A6, set to be directed by Atlee. The movie also stars Mrunal Thakur, Janhvi Kapoor, and Rashmika Mandanna. Pinkvilla exclusively reported that the Pushpa 2 actress will play one of the negative leads in the movie.
Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.