Pakistani actress Iqra Aziz, best known for her show Suno Chanda, has come out in support of Bollywood icon Deepika Padukone's demand for eight-hour work shifts. Recently, Deepika reacted to the controversy and debates surrounding her demands for eight-hour shifts and questioned why male superstars asking for the same never make headlines.
Iqra shared a clip of her interview on her Instagram story and wrote, "The emphasis isn't on the 8-hour shift, but on her perceived demanding nature."
She added, "A mother striving for work-life balance should be supported. As long as she meets her commitments, her colleagues should be team players and respect her time." It is to be noted that Iqra also has a four-year-old son.
While Instagram accounts of Pakistani celebs have been banned in India, a screenshot of her story has surfaced on Reddit. Meanwhile, several Bollywood celebs have also backed Deepika's demand.
For those unversed, Deepika, who is also a new mother, reportedly demanded eight-hour work shifts and when it was not fulfilled by the makers of Kalki 2898 AD sequel and Spirit, she decided to quit the projects.
Recently, during an interaction with CNBC TV 18, Deepika stated that a lot of male actors have been working for only eight hours everyday since years.
Questioning the double standards of the film industry, she said, "By virtue of being a woman, if that's coming across as pushy or whatever, then so be it. But it is no secret that a lot of superstars, male superstars, in the Indian film industry, have been working for eight hours for years and it's never made headlines."
She continued, "I don't want to take names now and make this into a whole thing but it is very commonly, publicly known that a lot of male actors have been working for eight hours a day for years. A lot of them only work for eight hours Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends."
She also stated that the Indian film industry is 'disorganised' and that there needs to be a system in place.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Deepika has Atlee's AA22xA6 alongside Allu Arjun in the lead. She will also be seen in King with Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan and others.
