Kamal Ghorui
Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who often stays in the news for her performances and fashion moments, created a stir in the industry when she advocated and demanded an eight-hour work shift. Reports started doing the rounds that her eight-hour shift demand offended some filmmakers, and thus, she lost two big and highly anticipated projects. This debate left the internet and the industry divided. Some stood in solidarity with the actress, while some didn’t approve of her move. Bollywood’s beloved star, who has been in the industry for decades now, Ashutosh Rana, falls in the former lot. In his recent media interaction, he supported Deepika Padukone and highlighted how working more than eight hours can lead to adverse effects on an artist’s creative process.
Ashutosh Rana backs Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour shift demand
While speaking to The Fresh Press Journal, Ashutosh emphasised that, in his opinion, “creative work should not be done beyond eight hours.” He continued, If you want the best of the best, you must understand this. Eight hours is a good amount of time; work can be completed in eight hours.” The ‘Sangharsh’ star further highlighted that with a strong pre-production game and clarity about what is to be done, wonders can be done in eight hours.Elaborating his stance further, he shared how longer working hours can lead to stress, low energy, and other ill effects. He said it simply, “affects the quality of your work,” before adding that “this is entirely a game of energy and strength. Not everyone has the capacity to work for twenty hours and then rejuvenate in the remaining four hours.” The actor added that there can be an exception for a day or two, but it becomes a problem when it turns into a regular practice. “I am a strong believer in the idea that the eight-hour time slot should be mastered,” he quoted.
Ashutosh Rana says scene discussions should happen in the office, not on the shoot location
Further highlighting how clarity and pre-planning are necessary, he said, “Discussions about the script, scene blocking, and planning should happen in the office. Not that once you reach the set, you say, ‘Okay, let’s do this – this scene wasn’t there, so let’s modify it like this.’ If the captain of the ship is clear, then believe me, there will be no need to work beyond eight hours.”He then spoke about the importance of emotional recovery. He said that a person is advised to work out three or four times a week, rest, and give their body time to heal and recover. “Emotional recovery, mental recovery, and physical recovery are all important,” said the actor, who mentioned that even on the sets of his wife, Renuka Sahane’s movies, there’s a discipline of time and work ethics are followed.
