You can choose to be part of project or not, says Mohit Suri on Deepika’s 8-hour shift demand

Director Mohit Suri has offered his perspective on the ongoing debate surrounding Deepika Padukone’s reported departure from Spirit, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, allegedly due to her request for an eight-hour workday.

In a conversation with NDTV, Suri emphasised that work expectations often depend on a project’s scope and financial constraints.

“Well, to each their own. I think it depends on the kind of budget you're working with,” he said, clarifying that no filmmaker intends to overwork actors without cause. “No one's sadistic enough to unnecessarily torture someone,” he added.

He acknowledged that production realities - like limited budgets - can affect shooting schedules and, by extension, working hours. “Sometimes, you're restricted by things like budgets and that impacts everything, including how many hours a day you shoot.”

Suri stressed the importance of professional commitment, especially once an actor agrees to be part of a project. “You have a choice to be a part of something or not. But what I think is unfair is when someone comes in and starts dictating terms after signing on. You knew what the project entailed - the constraints, the realities.”

With the conversation around work conditions for actors gaining traction, especially regarding scheduling demands, Suri redirected the focus to production limitations rather than personal disagreements. “Let's be honest, the root of this debate is not personal. It's a budget issue. That's the reality,” he concluded.