Kajol is one of the most prominent actresses in Bollywood and a powerful voice who never shies away from speaking her mind. With a career spanning over 3 decades, the actress has always prioritised a balance in both choosing roles and setting healthy boundaries at work. Recently, Kajol shared her straightforward take on the ongoing debate around Deepika Padukone’s alleged 8-hour shift which has raised concerns about the work/life balance for actors and especially new moms. Since the Devi actress has also worked alongside being a mother of two, her views have been significant to the debate.
Kajol recalls how she worked for limited hours after the birth of her daughter, Nysa
Kajol, who is on a promotional spree for her upcoming film, Maa, recently sat down for an interview with PTI. During the conversation, she shared her take on the ongoing debate of 8-hour work and mentioned that since the ’90s, when she rose to popularity, she has prioritised work/life balance. The actress recalled that she has always been among the few people who chose to do one film at a time, unlike other actors or actresses who used to do 3 to 4 films in multiple shifts at that time. In her words:
“I used to finish one film, then start another. I didn’t work for 20 or 30 hours. I was always very clear that we would work a certain amount only, and my mom also backed me up big time on it.”
Kajol welcomed her first child, a daughter, Nysa in April 2003 with her husband, Ajay Devgn, but didn’t stop working. She recalled that after welcoming her daughter, she used to work for limited hours, and most of the producers used to understand her situation and agreed to it. Sharing one instance, the actress mentioned that when she was working on Fanaa in 2006, everyone used to be comfortable with her fewer working hours and never made an issue out of it. Recalling how once her husband, Ajay Devgn, helped her manage work when her father was ill, and her daughter was small, the actress said:
“I remember shooting for ‘U Me Aur Hum’ (2008), and my dad was in the hospital at that time, and Nysa was two years old, so it was a double whammy. But Ajay, being the producer, managed it; he worked around it to make sure that I went home early so I could go to the hospital. So, we managed that work-life balance, as you put it.”
What is Deepika Padukone’s 8-hour work shift demand?
The 8-hour work shift debate started in Bollywood when Deepika Padukone, who welcomed her daughter in September 2024, asked for an 8-hour shift to work in Sandeep Vanga Reddy’s upcoming film, Spirit. Since it was supposed to mark Deepika’s return to the big screen after embracing motherhood, fans were excited. However, reportedly, the 8-hour work shift demand, along with a few others like a cut in profit share and not speaking Telugu dialogues, led to a conflict between her and the filmmaker. She exited, and Triptii Dimri was cast in her place. Later, Sandeep Vanga claimed that someone from his team had leaked the story in the media for PR tactics without taking any name.
Kajol’s work front
Kajil was last seen in Do Patti, co-starring Kriti Sanon, Tanvi Azmi and Shaheer Sheikh. She will be next seen in the upcoming mythological horror film, Maa, directed by Vishal Furia, which is set to release on June 27, 2025. The film will also feature Indraneil Sengupta, Kherin Sharma and Ronit Roy. The actress also has Maharagini, Sarzameen and season two of her web series, The Trial in the pipeline.
What do you think about Kajol’s views on the 8 hour shift debate in Bollywood?
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