After Deepika Padukone, Jimmy Shergill weighs in on long working hours in Bollywood: 'My fight is for the workers'

After Deepika Padukone grabbed headlines for speaking about an 8-hour work shift, actor Jimmy Shergill has also weighed in on working hours in the film industry. Shergill highlighted the challenges faced by cast and crew members, arguing that their health and personal lives are often overlooked.

Jimmy Shergill on working hours

In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the Operation Safed Sagar actor spoke about the working hours of technicians and other crew members on set, whose schedules are often extended by stars' working hours. He said, "My fight is for the workers. 12 plus three plus three... 18 [hours], followed by their travel time back home. So he's just going home to meet his wife and come back. What kind of life is he living? Somebody has to genuinely take care of that because health is the most important thing for the workers. A guy doing that every single day is not gonna last too long."

Speaking about the health risks and lack of personal time these workers face on project sets, Shergill shared, "So he's just going home to meet his wife and come back. What kind of life is he living? Somebody has to genuinely take care of that because health is the most important thing for the workers. A guy doing that every single day is not gonna last too long."

'We actors are privileged'

Discussing the privileges of the stars that workers do not have, Shergill stated, "Everywhere in the world, the timing is 12 hours. You should work however much you want within those hours, but after that, workers need their own time. We actors, are privileged because we might be able to wrap up our work in those 15 to 20 days and go back home and sleep. The workers can't."

Deepika Padukone has previously spoken about balancing her personal life and career. The news escalated when reports said the actress had walked out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit over her demand for an eight-hour work shift while managing motherhood and work. Her stance sparked widespread industry debate and reportedly led to her exit from Kalki 2 as well.

Jimmy Shergill's work front

Jimmy Shergill is set to appear in the upcoming patriotic war drama Operation Safed Sagar, which will release globally on Netflix on August 7. Inspired by the Indian Air Force during the 1999 Kargil War, the series also stars Siddharth as Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja and Dia Mirza as Kamalpreet Kaur Dhano.

Shergill has earned immense love and respect over his three-decade-long acting career. From Gulzar’s acclaimed political drama Maachis to his turn as the chocolate boy named Karan Chaduhary in Mohabbatein, the actor has shone in several movies and built a large and devoted fan base.