Deepika Padukone and Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit row: Ram Gopal Varma calls it 'an exaggerated thing'

Ram Gopal Varma has offered his perspective on the debate surrounding Deepika Padukone's reported departure from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's film, Spirit. The controversy arose from reports that Padukone, after recently becoming a mother, requested an eight-hour workday, a condition allegedly not agreeable to Vanga. This sparked a wider discussion on work hours and work-life balance in the film industry. Varma, however, considers the situation to be exaggerated, emphasizing that such agreements, including shift timings, are typically decided collaboratively between the actor and the director. He further argued that fixed shift hours for actors are often impractical due to the inherent unpredictability of the filmmaking process.

While speaking with Hindustan Times, Ram Gopal Varma said, “When it comes to having fixed shift timings for actors, I really think that it is an agreement between two people. Each of them has a right to say what they want, and the other one has a right to refuse."

He further added, “The whole thing (between Deepika and Sandeep) was a very exaggerated thing in my opinion. Because I can say, I want to work for 23 hours, and the actor can say I want to work only for one hour. That’s their call. But how can one human being force another human being to do something? And they can agree to work or not work with each other… But that thing was just kind of blown up in the media."

Ram Gopal Varma also pointed out the impracticality of fixed shift timings for actors in filmmaking, citing the industry's reliance on various unpredictable external factors.

"That’s because it depends on so many factors. The director might need a particular light. He might want some combination of another actor, or maybe the location is not available. There are too many factors which can factor in," he said.

Spirit, now starring Prabhas and Triptii Dimri, is highly anticipated, with Sandeep Reddy Vanga, known for Kabir Singh and Animal, at the helm, aiming for a 2027 release. Following Spirit, Vanga is expected to focus on Animal Park, the sequel to his previous hit with Ranbir Kapoor.