‘The whole thing was exaggerated’: Ram Gopal Varma on Deepika–Sandeep 8-hour workday controversy

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Deepika Padukone’s reported exit from Spirit, calling the issue unnecessarily exaggerated. The fallout between the actress and director Sandeep Reddy Vanga sparked wider discussions within the industry about actor demands, including fixed working hours and creative preferences.

In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Varma said the matter of shift timings is a simple agreement between collaborators.

“I really think that it is an agreement between two people. Each of them has a right to say what they want, and the other one has a right to refuse,” he explained.

Earlier this year, reports claimed Deepika stepped away from the Prabhas-starrer after allegedly requesting an 8-hour workday, a share in the film’s profits, and to avoid delivering dialogues in Telugu, conditions that reportedly clashed with the director’s approach. The incident sparked debate on work-life balance in the entertainment industry.

Varma, however, believes the issue was blown out of proportion. “It was blown up in the media,” he said, adding that rigid shift structures are rarely feasible in filmmaking.

“That's because it depends on so many factors. The director might need a particular light. He might want some combination of another actor, or maybe the location is not available. There are too many factors which can factor in.”

Meanwhile, Spirit, which has reportedly cast Triptii Dimri in place of Deepika, is aiming for a theatrical release in 2027.