Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha has revisited the conversation around fixed working hours in Bollywood, calling last year’s uproar over actors’ shift demands unnecessary. Speaking in a recent interview with Shubhankar Mishra, he said professional disagreements over schedules should remain between those directly involved instead of turning into public debates.
Referring to the discussion sparked by Deepika Padukone’s reported request for shorter shifts after motherhood, Sinha maintained that such matters are based on mutual understanding. According to him, if a filmmaker is uncomfortable with an actor’s terms, they are free not to collaborate. “It’s as simple as that,” he remarked, underlining that film projects rely on consent and clarity from both sides.
Drawing from his own experience, Sinha recalled working with the late Rishi Kapoor on the 2018 film Mulk. He shared that Kapoor had initially expressed hesitation about night shoots. Through discussion, they agreed on limited night schedules, and even when adjustments were required later, the situation was handled smoothly.
The work-hour debate intensified after Deepika exited Spirit, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Prabhas. She was later replaced by Triptii Dimri, fuelling conversations around professionalism and remuneration in big-budget cinema.
Sinha added that actors perform under demanding conditions, and fatigue can easily show on large screens. For him, discussions about working hours are practical decisions, not controversies meant for public consumption.
