Vidya Balan Champions Flexible Work Hours for New Mothers Amid Deepika – Sandeep Reddy Fallout
Bollywood icon voices support for shorter shifts, highlighting industry-wide need for accommodating motherhood—while affirming she can manage longer hours herself
Bollywood veteran Vidya Balan recently weighed in on the ongoing debate over eight-hour work shifts for new mothers—sparked by Deepika Padukone’s reported request on Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit. Sources suggest Deepika, now a mother, asked for an eight-hour workday to balance her parental duties—a condition Vanga couldn’t accept, leading to her departure from the project and her subsequent replacement by Triptii Dimri.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Vidya emphasized that flexible schedules are both reasonable and essential. She stated, “There is conversation about how mothers need to have an option to work for fewer hours, flexible hours, right? And I think that’s fair.” She added that industries are beginning to adapt these measures to retain new mothers in the workforce.
Acknowledging that she isn’t a parent herself, Vidya then humorously noted, “I am not a mother, so I have all the time in the world to be doing a 12‑hour shift,” stressing that her own career allows for longer working days.
This isn’t an isolated voice in the industry. Following Deepika’s exit, several actors and filmmakers—including Neha Dhupia, Deepak Tijori, Pankaj Tripathi, Ajay Devgn, Kajol, and Kumar Sanu—have publicly supported the call for dignified, humane working hours, especially for mothers.
On the professional front, Vidya Balan recently starred in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 alongside Kartik Aaryan and Madhuri Dixit. Next up, she appears in the much-anticipated biopic Raja Shivaji, sharing the screen with Riteish Deshmukh.
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