A heated debate about 8-hour shifts during filming has been ignited in Bollywood ever since it was announced that Deepika Padukone has exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film, Spirit. One of the reasons for Deepika leaving Vanga’s film was her demand for an 8-hour filming shift. Recently, many actors from the industry, including Banita Sandhu, have come forward to support this demand. In a recent interview with Screen, Sandhu, who has worked in both Hollywood and Bollywood, spoke against working 16-18 hour shifts.
What Did Banita Sandhu Say In Support Of Deepika Padukone
Banita talked about how in Hindi cinema, the situation is now getting better. However, in the early days of her career, there were times when she shot the entire day and then flew at night. Banita Sandhu recalled working for 16-18 hours, and that she would not even sleep for 24 hours. She eventually stood up against the producers that this is not okay.
The actress says that maybe this demand has gotten her blacklisted from the Bollywood industry but she does not care and believes in standing up for what is right. Banita also contrasted Bollywood and the West by saying that one advantage of working in Hollywood is the powerful unions that stand to protect both actors and crew members. To Banita, filmmaking is not a war, and nobody’s mental health should be compromised for it. She emphasises how a job should never come a the cost of someone’s basic human rights.
Banita Sandhu made her debut with the hit movie October, starring alongside Varun Dhawan. She recalls how after October, she was not living in India full-time and used to fly in for shoots. After October, Banita continued to work; she worked on at least 3 projects a year in Hollywood and the South. She said that she was getting job offers from all around the world, but not many from Bollywood. Sandhu said that she thinks if she had moved to India permanently, she would have been more successful. Several producers reached out to her after October but were not able to find her. In Bollywood, Banita says, if you are out of sight, you are out of mind
Also Read: Genelia D’Souza Weighs In On Deepika Padukone’s Work Hour Debate: “I Work For 10 Hours”
Banita’s Recent Film Project
Banita’s recent movie project is the film Detective Sherdil, co-starring Dosanjh, Boman Irani, Diana Penty, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Chunky Panday. The comedy-mystery film is available to stream on ZEE5.