Bollywood actress and politician Kangana Ranaut recently weighed in on the 8-hour work shift demand. The debate was sparked after Deepika Padukone walked away from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit. It led to a public fallout between Deepika and Sandeep, compelling the film industry to start a dialogue on work-life balance. Here's what Kangana said:

Kangana Ranaut supports Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour work shift demand

Kanga ranaut cooked sandeep reddy vanga who kicked deepika from spirit coz she demanded 8 hrs shift.

She says:- Deepika Padukone has earned the right to demand 8hr shift.
People who want to work with her, would make adjustments around it. Deepika is top actress and has worked… pic.twitter.com/9ABL6vYnbQ

— daksh. (@mythicbxrn) April 16, 2026

Credit: X/mythicbxrn

Deepika Padukone walked from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit after her demand of working for eight hours did not align with the filmmaker’s terms. The controversy not only drew headlines but also elicited opinions and views of other actors and filmmakers. Kangana Ranaut is the latest celebrity to express her stance on the subject.

Supporting Padukone in a recent interview, Ranaut said that she is at that place in her professional career where she can make such demands. Kangana said that Deepika is a “top-most actress” who deserves to dictate her working conditions, especially after becoming a mother.

She 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, she has a family to look after and the top-most actress. If today she is keen to work for eight hours, she has earned it.”

Kangana also recalled a past conversation with Deepika when they met during a project with director Imtiaz Ali. She shared that there was a time when they used to work for 12-14 hours because they were hyper-focused and driven.

She said, “Deepika and I, when we were together, she said that they were working on Imtiaz's film or something. She said, 'We have a 12-hour shift.' In response, I said that I work for only 10 hours. She's like 'That's amazing'. So, there was a time when we wouldn't settle for anything less than 12-14 hours because we were ferocious.”

Kangana also said that in the beginning of their acting careers, they never stressed upon working hours as they were “replaceable”. The Thalaivii actor further explained the challenges faced by working women in balancing their careers and family. She said that if any director wants to work with Deepika, he or she must work around her time as she has earned that place.

She explained, “When you're new, you're coming up, and you are replaceable. Your place is different. She (Deepika Padukone), 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, 'Wait a minute, I want her. And it's okay if she comes for eight hours because we'll work around her time'.”

Kangana Ranaut on being offered ‘Padmavat’

In her latest interview, Kangana Ranaut revealed that Sanjay Leela Bhansali regretted her refusal to act in Padmaavat, as he felt she could have done justice to the character of Padmavati, which Deepika Padukone failed to do pic.twitter.com/VSvpz0kzmo

— r (@bekhayalime) April 16, 2026

Credit: X/bekhayalime

Kangana Ranaut also shared that she was offered Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavat before Deepika Padukone. In earlier interviews, she shared that Bhansali refused to give her a script which became one of the reasons why she declined the part. She added that in retrospect, her decision of refusing Padmavat was correct.

She also said that Ram Leela makers approached her to do Ram Chahe Leela song, but she refused. She said, “I told them I don’t want to do an item number.”

On the work front, Kangana was last seen in Emergency, which received a lukewarm response from the audience and critics. Deepika is gearing up for her upcoming film King with Shah Rukh Khan, which will be released around Christmas 2026.

Social and lead images credits: Instagram/kanganaranaut and Instagram/deepikapadukone