Deepika Padukone’s exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit, reportedly due to her demand for strict eight-hour shifts, started a debate in the film industry. While Mani Ratnam, Rana Daggubati, and Kabir Khan defended the actor amid the controversy, Genelia Deshmukh said in a new interview that she works a 10-hour shift and it is not impossible for a mother to work long hours.
During an interview with Zoom, she said, “It is tough but it is not impossible. I do work for 10 hours a day and there are days when the director asks to extend it to 11 or 12 hours. I think it’s fair but we just need time to make those adjustments. When you have a day or two where you have to overdo, it’s also an understanding and a process that needs to be done.”
About Deepika Padukone-Sandeep Reddy Vanga row
Recently, Deepika Padukone quit Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s next film Spirit, leading to several rumours and speculations around the reason behind her exit. Several reports suggested that she had demanded an eight-hour workday as a new mother, a huge fee and profit-sharing terms, which didn’t line up with the director’s expectations. While Deepika hasn’t addressed the issue publicly, she recently shared a post about staying true to herself.
However, Sandeep Reddy Vanga took to his X handle and shared a cryptic post, alleging an actor’s breach of trust and playing dirty PR games. Without naming Deepika directly, he mentioned that someone put down a younger actor and leaked his film’s story to the press. “You didn’t get it. You won’t get it. You will never get it,” a part of the post read. Triptii Dimri, who was a part of his film Animal, is now replacing Deepika in Spirit.
Genelia Deshmukh is currently busy promoting her upcoming release Sitaare Zameen Par, opposite Aamir Khan. The film is said to be a spiritual sequel to his 2007 hit film Taare Zameen Par, while it is actually a remake of the Spanish sports drama Campeones. The movie narrates the story of a basketball coach who rediscovers himself by training a team of specially-abled children. Directed by RS Prasanna, it is scheduled to hit big screens on June 20.
