'I have worked only 6-7 hours since Adira was born': Rani Mukerji on Deepika's demand for 8-hour shifts, says 'quality is more important than working hours'

There is a difference of opinion in Bollywood over the alleged demand of Deepika Padukone's 8-hour shooting shift. Now, actress Rani Mukerji, who recently won the National Film Award, has given her opinion on this. In an interview with ANI (News Agency), when Rani was asked about Deepika's alleged demand for shifts, she said, "I have also done the same. Sometimes I would work for a few hours and finish the film if the producer had no problem, but if the producer had a problem, I wouldn't do the film. It's everyone's choice. There is no pressure on anyone. Some films take longer, but if you plan, anything is possible. During the interview, Rani revealed that her daughter Adira was 14 months old during the shooting of 'Hichki'. She was breastfeeding. Rani said, "It used to take about two hours to reach the location from Juhu. After pumping milk in the morning, I would leave at 6:30 and start shooting at 8 am. My first shot was at 8 a.m. and the last at 12:30 or 1 p.m. My unit and director had planned everything so that the shoot would be completed in 6-7 hours. I used to reach home at 3 o'clock, before city traffic. That's how I finished my film," Rani said when asked if she was comfortable working with banners that don't belong to her husband. To which Rani said, "Of course, I recently did 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway' with MA Films. I think it is important that you complete the work within six or seven hours. When I go to the sets and finish the work in six to seven hours, it is my scheduled work for the day. Sometimes you work for 18 hours and still can't finish. So, it also depends on the quality of the work done in that time, and yes, some films require extra hours, but if you plan properly, you can achieve whatever your goal is." 'Today's directors plan their work thoroughly' Talking about the new generation of directors, Rani said, "I think today's directors plan very well. They are fully aware. The cost of the film has gone up. It's not easy to make a film anymore. When someone makes a film post Covid, it is a big achievement. It makes me feel very lucky to be on the set of the film because a film is being made and it is a big achievement." Deepika's demands included an eight-hour shift, a large fee, a share of the profits and no Telugu dialogue. Deepika became a mother in September 2024, so she wanted an eight-hour shift five days a week. Sandeep was not happy with these demands due to which he was dropped from the film.