Kajal Aggarwal has come out in support of Deepika Padukone's push for fixed working hours for actresses, revealing that she too has started adding similar clauses to her own contracts. The new mother said she completely understands where Deepika Padukone is coming from on this issue.
How the Debate Around Fixed Hours Began
Last year, Deepika Padukone had pointed out that while top male actors in the film industry typically work 8 hour shifts and get Sundays off, actresses are not given the same treatment and end up working far longer hours. It was this very demand that led to her exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's film Spirit. Since then, several actresses in the industry have come forward to back Deepika Padukone on this issue, and Kajal Aggarwal has now joined that list.
Kajal Aggarwal Has Added Similar Clauses to Her Own Contracts
Kajal Aggarwal said she relates to Deepika Padukone's stance because she has already built similar conditions into her own contracts. She explained that she now clearly spells out certain work related terms in her contracts, decides her own working hours, and does not work on Sundays so that she can spend that time with her child.
Kajal Aggarwal said, Now I have a clause in my contract where I fix my working hours and say that I don't work on Sundays, so that I can give that time to my child. I can't work round the clock like I used to before.
Calls Deepika's Demand Fair
Kajal Aggarwal further said that Deepika Padukone's demand is not unreasonable at all, and that she fully supports the idea of fixed working hours. According to her, actors put in years of hard work precisely so that they eventually reach a position where they get to make such choices.
Kajal Aggarwal said, It's all about priorities, and you work so hard that eventually you reach a position of choice, where you can make a very simple request, and that isn't asking for too much.
Draws a Comparison With the Corporate World
Kajal Aggarwal also compared the film industry with other professional sectors. She said, This happens in the corporate world. It happens everywhere. Then why not in the film industry? She pointed out that fixed working hours and weekly offs are already standard practice in many other professional spaces, and there is no real reason the film industry should be treated any differently.
Kajal Aggarwal's remarks suggest that actresses in the film industry are becoming increasingly assertive about what goes into their contracts. Conversations around working hours, weekly offs and personal time are becoming more open, and this shift could eventually change the way the industry structures its work schedules going forward.
