Actor Deepika Padukone has addressed the controversy surrounding her alleged demand for an eight-hour workday, which reportedly led to her exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2.

In an interview with CNBC-TV18, Deepika said it was unfair that her request made headlines when male actors have followed similar schedules for years without criticism.

"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 8 hours for years and it's never made headlines!"

Deepika added, "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 8 hours a day for years. A lot of them only work for 8 hours from Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends."

Deepika added that several male actors typically work only eight hours a day, often from Monday to Friday, taking weekends off — a fact well known within the industry.

The actor’s exit from Spirit reportedly stemmed from her wish to limit work hours so she could spend more time with her daughter, Dua. When her request couldn’t be accommodated, she chose to step away from the project.