Mumbai: As the film industry continues to be abuzz over reports that Deepika Padukone’s alleged demand for an eight-hour workday caused her to walk out of Spirit, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Prabhas, filmmaker Hansal Mehta has weighed in on the ongoing debate over work culture in the Indian film industry.
On Thursday, Mehta shared a detailed note in a post on social media platform X, criticizing the industry’s normalization of long working hours and exhaustion among professionals. The filmmaker highlighted that unhealthy work patterns have become an accepted part of the entertainment industry, often at the expense of mental and physical well-being.
In our line of work, a 12-hour day is politely called a “shift.” The truth is that between the frenzy of shooting, the endless commute, hurried meals and barely a few hours of broken sleep, we are left with very little. Where does our mental health or physical well-being fit into this…
– Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) 10 October 2025
“In our line of work, 12-hour days are politely called ‘shifts’. The truth is that between the frenzy of shoots, endless travelling, rushed meals and barely a few hours of broken sleep, we have very little left. Where does our mental health or physical well-being fit into this equation? Weekends are rarely weekends. Breaks are given less importance. Somewhere along the way, exhaustion became the norm and rest became a privilege. Gone. Sometimes I wonder: Can it really be called an industry if it runs on the constant waste of its people? Those hit hardest are those with the least power – daily wage labourers. They are always the first to arrive and the last to leave, surviving in conditions we would call inhumane elsewhere,” his post read.
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Also read: Deepika Padukone’s first reaction to the demand for 8-hour work shift between the release of Spirit and Kalki 2
“The situation is worse on television and now even OTT and films have fallen into the same pattern. We often celebrate the arrival of global corporations, believing that they will bring better systems. But often they just adopt the broken systems we already have. Because it is profitable, I truly believe that if we care about our well-being and especially those at the base of this pyramid, we will not only do better Will do, but will live a better life. Ironically, so will quality, efficiency, and even profits. But first, we need to stop ridiculing the simple idea of comfort. Because without that, what are we really building?” Hansal Mehta added.
Mehta further explained that on one of his previous projects, filming used to be completed within an 8–9 hour schedule, but when the producers insisted on doing “a little more”, the production ironically took longer to complete.
Through his post, Mehta urged producers, especially producers, to start prioritizing the physical and mental well-being of everyone working on film sets, whether behind or in front of the camera.
“I believe balance is essential. Time for work, rest, family, friends, and ourselves are not indulgences – they are integral to both health and the quality of the work we do. The normalization of 12-hour work days feels exploitative. This should be the exception, not the norm. I remember a movie I once worked on, where I would finish the day’s work within 8-9 hours. Almost immediately, producers rushed in and asked me to “work a little more” Engaged. The irony is that the film ended. More time than scheduled. Time was not saved, on the contrary it was wasted. Hours extended, not utilized. The need of the hour is efficiency and economy but not at the cost of people. We must take care of the physical and mental health of the people who keep this industry running. It’s not about any one star or director – they are generally well looked after. It’s about those who arrive first, most They emerge later and often have the least protection. In particular, we need to take care of them,” he shared.
Hansal Mehta is known for making projects like ‘Shahid’, ‘Omerta’ and ‘Scam 1992’. In the coming months, he will be bringing the biographical series Gandhi, which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).