Rakul Preet Singh on Deepika Padukone’s 8-Hour Workday Controversy: “Work Hours Are Subjective”

Mumbai: Actress Rakul Preet Singh has shared her perspective on the recent controversy surrounding Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour work request post-motherhood, which reportedly led to her exit from high-profile films like Spirit and Kalki 2. Rakul stressed that work schedules are subjective and depend on the individual’s stage in life, family priorities, and personal capacity.

Rakul Speaks on Work-Life Balance in Bollywood

During an interaction with Siddharth Kannan, Rakul highlighted that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to work hours in the film industry.

“I feel that working hours are very subjective to where you are in your life right now. How you were at 16 is not how you are at 25, or 35. So there is never one rule for anybody. You wouldn’t expect Amitabh ji to work 14 hours, right? So it is very subjective,” she explained.

Rakul further emphasised the importance of personal choice, stating:

“Every person has the right to decide that in this phase of my life, I want to give this much time to my family, or work for this many hours. If I can’t do more than that, then I will unfortunately have to let go. Everybody has the right to decide how much they want to work.”

She also reflected on how priorities naturally evolve over time, especially for actors who have spent years working long hours during the early stages of their careers.

“I am sure those who work 8 hours today have worked a lot earlier. They have even worked 48 hours straight. Like Ajay sir, Akshay sir, in the ’90s, they would go from one film set to another. They would change only their shirts while wearing the same jeans. That also used to happen. And now they have reached a point that they can decide how much work they want to do. So you transition with time and with where you are in life,” she added.

Rakul’s Upcoming Projects

On the professional front, Rakul recently reprised her role as Ayesha Khurana in the romantic comedy ‘De De Pyaar De 2’, directed by Anshul Sharma. The sequel follows the Khurana family as they navigate challenges surrounding their daughter’s relationship with an older man. The film also features Ajay Devgn, Javed Jaffrey, R. Madhavan, Meezaan Jaffery, and Gautami Kapoor.