Deepika Padukone recently found herself at the centre of criticism after stepping away from two major South Indian projects, Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD Part 2. Reports and speculations suggested that her "8-hour workshift" demand was the main reason behind her exit. After maintaining her silence for a long time, the actress recently broke her silence on it. Amid discussions surrounding Bollywood's work culture, an old video of Abhishek Bachchan speaking about Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar's working hours has surfaced online. World Mental Health Day 2025: Deepika Padukone Opens Up on Gender Bias, Disorganisation and 8-Hour Shift Controversy in Bollywood (Watch Video).

Bollywood Superstar Akshay Kumar Works for Only 8 Hours?

Amid Deepika Padukone's much-discussed controversy, an old video highlighting Akshay Kumar's 8-hour work policy has gone viral on the internet. The video in question is from The Kapil Sharma Show, where Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh appeared together to promote Housefull 3.

In the video, Abhishek Bachchan said, "Pack up hote hi, most excited person, Akshay Kumar. 8 ghante se zyada kaam nahi karte yeh. Subah 7 baje aayenge, turant jaise hi step in kiye set pe, meter down." Riteish Deshmukh jokingly adds, "Time starts now." Abhishek continues, "8 ghante maane beech shot mein kapde utarke, make up nikaal ke aajayenge."

Resurfaced Video Shows Abhishek Bachchan Talking About Akshay Kumar’s Work Shift Rule on ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’

While Abhishek was joking about Akshay Kumar’s professionalism and discipline in a resurfaced video, it went viral after Deepika Padukone called out the double standards in Bollywood, highlighting how male actors have fixed working hours, which no one finds problematic.

Deepika Padukone Breaks Silence on 9-Hour Work Shift Row

During a recent interview with CNBC TV 18, Deepika Padukone explained how women in Bollywood are judged differently for setting boundaries. She said, "By virtue of being a woman, if thats coming across as being pushy or whateverm then so be it. But it is no secraet that a lot of superstars, male supertars in the Indian film industry have been working for eight hours for years and its never made headlines."

She added, "I dont want to take names now and make this into a whole thing, but its very commonly known that many male actors work only eight hours Monday to Friday and don't work on weekends." She said the bigger issue is that the entire Indian film industry is often called an “industry,” but it has never really functioned like one. She described it as disorganised and emphasised the need for systematic changes. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh Make First Public Appearance As Parents in Abu Dhabi Ad; Fans Praise Deepika’s Hijab Look and the Couple’s Playful Banter (Watch Video).

Deepika and Akshay’s Work Front

Deepika Padukone, who was last seen in Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD in 2024, next has Siddharth Anand's King, co-starring Shah Rukh Khan. She also has AA22xA6 with Atlee and Allu Arjun. On the other hand, Akshay Kumar has a series of exciting projects in his lineup, including Bhooth Bangla, Haiwaan, Welcome to the Jungle and Hera Pheri 3.

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