After Deepika Padukone, Hansal Mehta reveals BIG truth on Bollywood's work shift: 'In our line of work, a 12-hour day is...'

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta slammed the film industry's gruelling work culture, revealing the harsh reality behind 12-hour 'shifts'. He questioned the mental health and physical well-being equation in Bollywood, pointing out at 'relentless draining of its people'. His statement comes after actress Deepika Padukone sparked a debate by demanding an 8-hour workday as a new mother, emphasising the need for better work-life balance.

Hansal Mehta criticises 12-hour work shift

Taking to X, he wrote, "In our line of work, a 12-hour day is politely called a 'shift.” The truth is, between the chaos of shoots, the endless commute, hurried meals and barely a few hours of broken sleep, there’s little left of us. Where does our mental health or physical well-being fit into this equation?

Weekends are rarely weekends. Breaks are looked down upon. Somewhere along the way, exhaustion became normalised and rest became a privilege. Sometimes I wonder: can this really be called an industry if it runs on the relentless draining of its people?". His post also marked World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated today, Friday (October 10, 2025).  

Hansal Mehta expresses concern

Further, Hansal expressed concern about how the film industry's tough shift pattern is transcending into OTT, and the most affected ones are daily wagers. "The hardest hit are those who have the least power - the daily wagers. They are always the first to arrive and the last to leave, surviving in conditions we’d call inhuman anywhere else. On television, it’s worse, and now even OTT and films have slipped into the same pattern," he said.

"We often celebrate the arrival of global corporations, believing they’ll bring better systems. But more often than not, they simply adapt to the broken ones we already have. Because it’s profitable," he added.

Hansal believes that rejecting the idea of rest can bring a change and build quality. "I truly believe that if we cared about well-being, ours and especially those who hold up the base of this pyramid we’d not only work better, but live better. The irony is that quality, efficiency, and even profit would follow. But first, we need to stop scoffing at the simple idea of rest. Because without that, what are we really building?: he concluded. 

Meanwhile, Hansal last directed a British crime drama, The Buckingham Murders, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, which was released in 2024.