Discussion of eight-hour shifts in the entertainment industry has been going on for quite sometime now. This all began when Deepika Padukone, who was loved as Sumathi in Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD, walked out of the sequel. However, very few people know that TV actress Paridhi Sharma of Jodha Akbar fame had brought up the matter much earlier. Paridhi had once opened up about how she demanded an 8-hour shift during Jodha Akbar days.
Paridhi played Jodha Bai in the historical drama, which aired between 2013 and 2015. In an interview given years later, the actress recalled that she had requested an eight-hour work schedule because the long shooting hours common in television had become difficult to manage.
How did the makers of Jodha Akbar react?
Speaking about the experience, Sharma said television actors often worked 12 to 15 hours a day, leaving little time for rest or personal commitments. So she demanded 8-hours of shift. Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor’s banner Balaji Telefilms was producing the show and the makers agreed to Paridhi’s demand.
While speaking on the matter, Paridhi said, ‘There was a time when I demanded 8 hours of shift during Jodha Akbar and the production team agreed on it. After a point I had said this, we have been doing the show for quite some time. So it was manageable.’
Watch the video here:
The curious case of Deepika Padukone
The issue came into the spotlight in May 2025 after multiple media reports claimed that Deepika Padukone had sought an eight-hour workday for director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit. Reports suggested that differences over work schedules, remuneration and contractual terms resulted in her exiting the project. Neither the actress nor the filmmakers publicly confirmed the exact reasons for her departure.
The discussion gathered pace again in June 2026 when Padukone had also exited the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. Several reports linked the development to similar concerns over working hours following the birth of her daughter in September 2024.
Later, while speaking to the press, Deepika said that she did not make any unjustified demands. Moreover, several male actors have been working on an 8-hours shift for years and that never it to the headlines.
The developments have triggered a wider debate within the film industry, with producers, directors and actors expressing differing opinions on whether fixed work schedules can be accommodated in large-scale productions. Against this backdrop, Sharma’s earlier remarks have resurfaced as an example of how the issue had been raised long before it became a headline in Bollywood.
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