Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit is the latest celebrity to join in the ongoing industry-wide debate over introducing an 8-hour work shift, saying that every actor should have the freedom to choose how they want to balance work and personal life.
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The discussion was sparked following Deepika Padukone’s reported demand for 8-hour work shifts, which led to her exit from the upcoming film โSpiritโ, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, starring Prabhas.
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Deepika’s departure has fueled widespread conversations across the industry about the demands of long shooting hours and the importance of work-life balance.
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Madhuri, known for her decades-long career in Bollywood, reflected on her own experience of managing long shooting hours while also balancing motherhood.
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The โDhal Dhak girlโ stressed that defining one’s work hours is a personal decision. “When we did ‘Mrs Deshpande’, we were working 12-hour shifts every day, like maybe more sometimes. So, I think to each his own. I’m a workaholic. So for me, maybe it’s different, but if a woman has that power and can say, ‘okay, I want to work these many hours,’ then that’s her prerogative, and that’s her life, and that’s how she wants to do it. Then more power to her.”
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Madhuri emphasised that actors should not be pressured to conform to a set standard.
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Earlier, actress Rani Mukerji had also expressed her views on the subject, explaining that flexible working hours have always been based on mutual understanding between actors and producers.
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Madhuri, meanwhile, continues to be one of Bollywood’s most revered actresses. She rose to fame with iconic films like โDilโ, โBetaโ, โHum Aapke Hain Kaunโ and โDil To Pagal Haiโ. She also earned critical acclaim for her performances in โPrem Pratigyaaโ, โParindaโ, โMrityudandโ, โPukarโ, and โLajjaโ.
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More recently, she starred in โDedh Ishqiyaโ and the Netflix series โThe Fame Gameโ. She was also seen in โTotal Dhamaalโ and โBhool Bhulaiyaa 3โ.