16 April,2026 05:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Kangana Ranaut and Deepika Padukone
Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut, who often makes headlines for her outspoken nature, came in support of Deepika Padukone after the actress parted ways with the big-budget movies, allegedly due to a lack of fixed working hours.
Last year, Deepika found herself in the middle of a heated debate after her shocking exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit and Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD, over specific working conditions, including a request for an eight-hour working day. The debate continued for months, with several celebrities weighing in on it.
In an interview with ANI, Kangana reflected on how work-life balance evolves with time and experience. She recalled the time when she and Deepika pushed themselves through long, demanding shifts, driven by ambition and the desire to succeed.
Kangana said, "I don't think there should be an issue created out of this because if you see where she (Deepika Padukone) is coming from, she has earned that place. She has a daughter, she's a mother now, and the topmost actress. If today she is keen to work for eight hours, she has earned it."
She recalled a conversation she had with Deepika when the latter was working on Imtiaz Ali's film. "Deepika and I, when we were together, she said that they were working on Imtiaz's film or something. She said, âWe have a 12-hour shift.' In response, I said that I work for only 10 hours. She's like âThat's amazing'. So there was a time when we wouldn't settle for anything less than 12-14 hours because we were ferocious. We wanted it. We were at it. We were going for it. We wanted to be successful and wanted all these things," she added.
Kangana also criticised the societal pressures that require women to balance intense work demands with family responsibilities.
"Let me just conclude it with this. You know, when you're new, you're coming up, you are replaceable. Your place is different. She, being where she is, she's a mother. She's got a family to look after. She's also earned that place where people are going to say that, wait a minute, I want her. And it's okay if she comes for eight hours because we'll work around her time. So why not?"
"And I think all the talk around fertility rate, and all the talk about marriages collapsing, and all of it. What are we doing? We are putting so much pressure on our women. We are making them work double the amount now with the children."
