Dulquer Salmaan, Rana Daggubati Explain High Costs of Implementing 8-Hour Workdays in Films

The debate over Deepika Padukone's reported demand for an 8-hour workday—leading to her exit from high-profile Telugu projects like Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit and Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD 2—has intensified, with South Indian stars Dulquer Salmaan, Rana Daggubati, and producer Archana Kalpathi weighing in on its feasibility during a candid Hollywood Reporter India Roundtable 2025 discussion. Padukone, who stepped away as a new mother prioritising work-life balance, sparked conversations about exploitative schedules in Indian cinema, where 12-16 hour days are the norm. The panellists acknowledged the idealism of structured shifts but highlighted logistical and creative hurdles that make it costlier and impractical, potentially inflating budgets by 20-30% due to extended shoot timelines.

Rana Daggubati, known for Baahubali, emphasised that filmmaking isn't a "factory job" but a "lifestyle" demanding flexibility, as each project requires unique commitments. He pointed out that while some actors shoot only four hours a day, "nobody is forcing anybody—it's a choice," and fixed hours could disrupt the collaborative flow, especially for ensemble casts or location shoots where weather and light dictate pacing. Daggubati added that extended days often stem from passion-driven overcommitment, but rigid limits might alienate crew and escalate costs through overtime pay for technicians and idle equipment rentals.

Dulquer Salmaan, reflecting on his multilingual career and experiences like being "pushed around" on early Bollywood sets, agreed that an 8-hour cap sounds "ideal" but overlooks the creative chaos of cinema. He noted that films like his recent Kaantha—co-starring Daggubati—were "clouded by love for the project," leading to longer hours without resentment, but implementing shifts would require rethinking contracts, potentially hiking daily rates and insurance premiums. Salmaan stressed that while actor well-being is paramount, especially post-pandemic, the industry's artisanal nature resists assembly-line efficiency, warning that cost overruns could burden producers already navigating rising VFX and star fees.

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Producer Archana Kalpathi, whose Dragon crossed Rs 100 crore this year, echoed the sentiment by welcoming OTT platforms' push for fixed release dates as a "positive accountability step" but cautioned that 9-5 schedules are unfeasible in a medium reliant on spontaneity. She explained that capping hours would extend shoots by weeks—adding lakhs in logistics like set maintenance and crew accommodations—while disrupting ensemble dynamics where one actor's early wrap affects others. Kalpathi advocated for "sensible compromises", like mandatory rest days and mental health support, over blanket rules, arguing that true reform lies in producer empathy rather than mandates that could stifle indie projects.

The roundtable's insights come amid broader industry pushback, with Madhuri Dixit calling work patterns a "personal choice" and Keerthy Suresh detailing actors' gruelling days to underscore Padukone's point. As unions like the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) mull guidelines, the consensus is clear: 8-hour days promise equity but at a premium—financially and creatively—that the fragmented Indian film ecosystem may not yet afford, urging a hybrid model blending regulation with artistic freedom.

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