Kunal Kemmu says 'you cannot work less and expect bigger pay' amid Deepika Padukone’s 8 hour shift debate

Actor Kunal Kemmu recently shared his views on the discussion around working hours in the film industry. The topic has been widely debated since Deepika Padukone reportedly supported shorter working shifts on film sets. The issue came up again during a podcast hosted by Soha Ali Khan.

The episode featured Soha along with her husband Kunal and her brother Saif Ali Khan. During the conversation, they spoke about work life balance and how attitudes towards professional commitments are changing. As the discussion continued, the subject of eight hour workdays in the film industry was raised.

Soha noted that work life balance is now discussed more openly than before. Responding to this, Kunal said people must also understand the consequences that come with the career choices they make.

“I feel that when we become 18 and when we are choosing governments of our country, we also have to choose what we want in life, what we signed up for. We sometimes say that we want to work for only so much time and want to spend time here… then you leave the job. Then don’t say that I want to be the biggest superstar and I want to be working in 10 films in a year. You choose what you want to do and know that it will come with its pros and cons, that you have signed up for it. You can’t say I want to get paid more and I want to work less."

When Soha mentioned that the debate gained attention after Deepika reportedly asked for eight hour shifts during film shoots, Kunal expanded on the topic. He said the issue should not be viewed only from the perspective of actors or gender, but as part of a larger shift in how people approach work.

“Of course. I am not just saying gender and actors. I am saying when we are talking about generations, like Gen Z, we have this whole conversation that Gen Z does not want to work too much and millennials used to do that. They had only so much hours, but they also had the lifestyle of chilling and doing self exploration trips. Toh phir woh mat bolo ki 12 ghante kaam kar ke aapse zyada salary le raha hain. Woh bhi problem hain. Lekin woh holiday pe nahi jaa raha hain, woh bhi problem hain. Aap ko jaana hain lekin kam paise mil raha hain toh woh bhi problem hain."

The debate around work schedules intensified last year when reports suggested Deepika stepped away from the film Spirit, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Reports said differences over working hours during the shoot led to her exit from the project.

The actor, who recently welcomed her daughter Dua, had reportedly sought shorter shifts to balance work and personal life. Reports also suggested she stepped away from Kalki 2, directed by Nag Ashwin. Since then, voices within the industry have continued discussing work culture and expectations on film sets.