Ishaan Khatter weighs in on long work hours debate in film industry

Ever since Deepika Padukone's exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit due to her alleged demand for an eight-hour workday made headlines, discussions continue to swirl around in the film industry, with many coming forward to voice their thoughts.

Actor Ishaan Khatter also shared his take on the matter, calling it an "important conversation."

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Speaking at the NDTV World Summit 2025 session, Ishaan opened up on being part of projects where the "protocol of time" was "abused."

The Homebound actor emphasised the need to be considerate about people and their situations.

"I've been on sets where sometimes the protocol of time has been abused... But that is something I would say is an important conversation... I'm an actor and I can work as many hours, but they (filmmakers) should be considerate of it. Acting is a work of passion. Sometimes we see actors go beyond their shift and see their passion realised," Ishaan said.

With this, Ishaan Khatter has joined the list of people from the industry who have called out the long working hours and the normalisation of exhaustion among professionals.

Earlier, filmmaker Hansal Mehta, in a detailed social media note, wrote, "Because it's profitable, I truly believe that if we cared about well-being, ours and especially those who hold up the base of this pyramid, we'd not only work better, but live better. The irony is that quality, efficiency, and even profit would follow. But first, we need to stop scoffing at the simple idea of rest. Because without that, what are we really building?"

Among others were Neha Dhupia, Ajay Devgn, and Rani Mukerji, who weighed in on the ongoing debate.

Meanwhile, Ishaan Khatter has been basking in the success of his latest film, Homebound. Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, the film is India's official submission for the 2026 Oscars.

Homebound revolves around the story of two childhood friends, Shoaib (played by Ishaan Khatter) and Chandan (played by Vishal Jethwa), who dream of becoming police officers to escape the discrimination that shapes their lives.

As their hopes clash with harsh realities, the film paints a moving portrait of friendship, identity, and resilience in rural India. ANI