On World Mental Health Day Deepika Padukone gets vocal about 'brutal' gender bias, disorganisation in the film industry
On World Mental Health Day, Deepika Padukone tackles past allegations with facts about the film industry's inner workings
What better way to set the ball rolling on discussions around mental health, than give a no-holds-barred, explosive interview on the eve of World Mental Health Day. Now this is not the first time Deepika Padukone has used her influence to get vocal about mental health — but the added layer of peace at the workplace, even if that workplace is a set with all the amenities in the world for its top actors — comes on the heels of a pretty extensive internet debate, following her unceremonious exit from both Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit as well as Nag Ashwin's Telugu epic sequel to Kalki 2898 AD.
In a sit down chat with CNBC-TV18, Deepika shone the spotlight on the need to have more organisation in an industry that commands such influence, especially doing away with gender bias when it comes to the pay, working hours and what demands are deemed 'acceptable'.
She said, "I have been very vocal about this, that surely but surely I am focused on bringing about change in the workplace as far as the Indian film industry is concerned because it is brutal...And I think we have a tendency of working in a way that is 'chalta hai'. If a system has been working well for this long, then why shake the apple cart? And I have never really been that person. I am always looking at how can we better something?"
Directly addressing all the hullaballoo around her alleged demand to work 8-hour shifts, she pointed out the severely glaring gender bias in the matter. She revealed, "It is not secret that a lot of male superstars in the film industry have been working 8-hour days for years, and it has never made headlines." Deepika also reflected how several women, especially new mothers, have also been working 8-hour shifts, but this has gone unnoticed.
So what's the core issue she's trying to get at? Disorganisation to be precise. She said, “While the Indian film industry is termed an industry, we have never really worked like an industry. We are a very disorganised industry, and I think it is time that we brought in some sort of system into this culture.”
Do you agree with Deepika's strong stance?
