‘You don’t become an accidental mother’: Kunal Kemmu tells actors to ‘become producers’ if they want to dictate work hours

The actor added that it becomes difficult when people want the rewards of the profession without accepting its demands.
“You can’t say in the middle of it that you want to get paid more and work less because now you feel like doing something else. If you want to be a bigger superstar and work in many films a year, you have to accept the effort that comes with it.”

Kunal Kemmu also weighed in on generational conversations around work culture.

“Even when we talk about Gen Z and say they don’t want to work as much as millennials did, it’s also about expectations. People want the lifestyle — time to relax, go on exploration trips — but then they also complain if someone who works 12 hours earns more. If someone is not going on holidays, that’s also criticised. You want to travel but you also want a higher salary. These things don’t always go together.”

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Saif Ali Khan on finding balance

Saif Ali Khan agreed that work-life balance is possible, but said it often depends on how one structures their career.
“It is possible, and it helps when you are successful. I can name a few colleagues in this industry who have balanced it well. They start work early — maybe at seven — and the camera rolls at nine in the morning. You can get a lot of work done and still see your children in the evening,” he said.

‘Become the producer if you want to control the hours’

Kunal Kemmu further argued that actors who want greater control over their schedules can take on additional responsibilities, such as producing their own projects.

“You can work for eight hours or even four hours if you want — but then become the producer, put in your own money, and take that decision yourself. If you are the boss and decide to work for two hours a day, you’ll realise that the film won’t finish on time and the project will cost much more. You might end up losing money. It’s very easy to make these choices with someone else’s money.”

He added that professionals should empower themselves to reach a position where they can make such decisions independently.

Kunal said, “Reach a position where you can do exactly what you want. But you can’t say, ‘Give me a job, I’ll decide how much you pay me, when I’ll show up, and how the work will be done.’ Then people will ask why they should suffer the consequences of working with you.”

‘Motherhood and career decisions must also be planned’

The conversation also turned to the challenges actors face when starting families during the peak of their careers. When Soha Ali Khan pointed out that this is often a dilemma for women who become mothers at a time when their careers are thriving, Kunal Kemmu said such life decisions require planning and come with their own consequences.

Kunal said, “But motherhood is usually something you plan. It doesn’t happen accidentally. You don’t become an accidental mother. You have to plan it right, your plan can’t affect the way the world is working.”

He clarified that the issue should not be viewed through a gender lens.

“This applies to men as well. If you take a decision in life, there will be repercussions. It’s like training in the gym. If you want to build your body, you have to show up every day. When your muscles hurt, you can’t complain about the pain, that’s how it works.”

For Kunal Kemmu, the key difference lies between sacrifice and commitment.

He said, “It’s not a sacrifice; it’s a commitment to the job you want to excel at. You can’t sit and complain about the nature of the business. Either you become sellable or you find ways to make yourself sellable so people want to work with you. It’s not a man-versus-woman issue.”

Deepika Padukone’s eight-hour workday demand

Deepika Padukone exited Spirit and the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD around the same time after reportedly asking for an eight-hour workday, which was not acceptable to the producers.

In an interview with Brut India, Deepika clarified her position and argued that such work schedules are not unusual in the industry.

“I don’t think what I am asking for is ridiculously unfair and I think only someone who has worked in the system enough will know the conditions that we work in. I am not the first one who has asked for something like this. In fact, there are a lot of actors, male actors, who have been working on a 8-hour shift for years and it’s never made headlines,” she said.