Hours on set: Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati Dispute Deepika Padukone’s Call for 8-Hour Workdays
The conversation about restructuring working conditions in
the film industry, ignited by Deepika Padukone's reported push for a strict 8-hour
shift, has drawn critical commentary from industry leaders Dulquer
Salmaan and Rana Daggubati. Both actors, who operate heavily as
producers in the South Indian film landscape, agree that the very nature of
filmmaking—a creative and logistical puzzle—makes a standard corporate workweek
impossible.
At a recent discussion, they broke down why cinema cannot
operate with the same regulations as a typical 9-to-5 job, emphasizing the
unique challenges of large-scale production.
Rana Daggubati: Art Cannot Be Timed
Rana Daggubati, the star known for blockbusters like Baahubali,
was adamant that classifying filmmaking as merely a "job"
fundamentally misunderstands the process.
- "It’s
a Lifestyle": Rana rejected the notion of fixed shifts, stating:
"This is not like a factory where you finish shooting... You
either choose to be in this business or not. It's a lifestyle."
- Creative
Constraints: He argued that creativity cannot be clocked: "If we
start fixing time, then art will be forced." He elaborated that
sometimes the best work happens outside a mandated window, explaining,
"We could sit for eight hours and the best scene comes out, or sit
for fifty and nothing comes out." For Rana, the commitment must
be total and focused on the artistic outcome, not the clock.
Dulquer Salmaan: When Longer Days Save Money
Dulquer Salmaan brought in the perspective of a producer
managing budget and logistics, explaining that extended hours are often a
necessary trade-off to keep costs under control.
- Budgeting
Necessity: "If you’re a producer, you’d rather spend 12 or 14
hours and finish," Dulquer explained. He quantified the financial
decision, stressing that extending one day is "cheaper than an
additional day" of shooting, which involves re-hiring the entire
crew, re-booking locations, and maintaining equipment.
- Crew
Preference: He also noted that in certain industries, like Malayalam
cinema, the crew often prefers to work longer to complete a scene rather
than drag the schedule: "They’re like, ‘No, let’s just finish and go
home.’"
The unanimous sentiment among the panellists, including
other industry figures, was that while crew welfare is vital, the
unpredictable, high-stakes process of capturing cinematic moments demands
flexibility that goes far beyond a fixed 8-hour structure. The debate remains
at the forefront, particularly after reports linked Deepika Padukone’s rigid
schedule requirement to her stepping away from major commitments.
Would you like to read about the specific impact this debate
is having on current film productions?
