Farah Khan Takes Playful Dig At Deepika Padukone’s 8-Hour Work Rule In New Vlog
Farah Khan jokingly poked fun at Deepika Padukone’s “8-hour shift” clause as the actor exited ‘Spirit’ and ‘Kalki 2898 AD’.
Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has been making headlines lately following her exits from two major projects – Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Spirit’ and the much-anticipated ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ sequel. While speculation swirls around her reported “8-hour work shift” clause and other alleged demands, filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan has now weighed in with her trademark wit. In her latest cooking vlog with Rohit Saraf and her cook Dilip, Farah cracked a light-hearted joke about Deepika’s working style.
During the episode, Rohit Saraf revealed that his mother was appearing on camera for the first time and had made them wait a year for it. Farah hugged her warmly and quipped, “Haan itna time toh Deepika Padukone ne nahi lagaya mujhe haan bolne mein.”
Later, when Dilip asked when Deepika Padukone might appear on their show, Farah playfully responded, “Jiss din tu gaon jaayega naa uss din aayegi.” She then added with a cheeky dig, “Deepika Padukone ab sirf 8 ghanta shoot karti hai, usko show pe aane ka time nahi hai.”
Deepika Padukone, who embraced motherhood in September 2024 with the birth of her daughter Dua, stepped away from ‘Spirit’ in May 2025. Reports claimed she had put forward “unprofessional” conditions such as profit-sharing, an 8-hour shooting limit, and extra pay for additional days. However, a source close to her told Hindustan Times that these demands were “in line with her stardom and her status as a new mother.” She was eventually replaced in the film by Triptii Dimri.
More recently, ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ makers Vyjayanthi Movies announced that Deepika would not be part of the sequel.
Their official statement read: “This is to officially announce that @deepikapadukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel of #Kalki2898AD. After careful consideration, we have decided to part ways. Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. And a film like @Kalki2898AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future works.”
Soon after, reports suggested Deepika had asked for a 25 per cent hike in her fee, restricted herself to 7-hour shooting days, and demanded five-star accommodation for her entourage.
Rather than addressing the controversy directly, Deepika shifted focus to her upcoming projects. She has signed Atlee’s next action entertainer alongside Allu Arjun (tentatively titled AA22 x A6), where she will take on an action-heavy role.
Additionally, she has started work on Siddharth Anand’s ‘King’, which features Shah Rukh Khan, his daughter Suhana Khan, along with Abhishek Bachchan and Jaideep Ahlawat, among several others.
