Deepika Padukone’s decision to walk out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit has sparked a discussion around actors working longer than they need to on film sets. Over the last few weeks, several actors like Ajay Devgn, Kajol, and Sonakshi Sinha backed the new mom and voiced support for her. Meanwhile, filmmakers Kussh Sinha, Suneel Darshan and Mohit Suri believed it was unfair to blame the directors. Now, in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, actor Ali Fazal has shared his take on the subject. Ali, who co-produced Girls Will Be Girls along with his wife, actor Richa Chadha, under their banner Pushing Buttons production, said, “(Filmmaking) is not a corporate job.”
Claiming he doesn’t know much about the ongoing debate in the industry, Ali shared, “I am pro everybody being satisfied. At the end of the day, we are creators. This is not like a corporate job. No offence to them, but it is not. Creating things takes a lot of compassion. It needs to be mutually decided between actors, creators and technicians, ‘What is the displacement of the hours in that particular project.’”
He added that every project has different requirements and schedules are tailored accordingly. “Sometimes, some projects don’t require much because it is VFX-heavy. Some projects require more because it is action, and drama. The genre changes the working style. That’s the kind of industry we are in. You can’t put a template. This is all subjective. This is not for others to discuss and throw their opinions. It is harsh asking people to take sides. It is not fair.”
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Previously, Kussh Sinha said in an interview with Zoom, “An actor is not the only stakeholder in a film. There’s the producer, director, DOP, production manager, location manager, and many more who are equally important to the process.”
Kussh, who is the son of veteran star Shatrughan Sinha (who is famously known for being tardy on sets) added, “If an actor insists on working only a certain way, and this is discussed and agreed upon beforehand, then great. But if it’s power play, ‘my way or the highway,’ I don’t think that works. A film is a collective effort, and one person dictating timelines can create issues.” Meanwhile, filmmaker Suneel Darshan told IANS, “I believe one should work only with those people who love your film more than you do. There was a time when Deepika was not a part of the industry. You will be able to find several new talents.”
