Deepika Padukone already changed several lives by opening up on her struggle with depression, and normalising conversations about mental health across households. Now, she’s tackling another issue many face—burnout due to continuous overworking.
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Speaking to film critic Anupama Chopra on Film Companion’s Front Row, the actor spoke about how she feels it is necessary to take time off while working back to back. Highlighting the toxic elements in today’s work culture, she reminded everyone that it is not, in fact, applause-worthy to torture yourself with work.
You can view the interview here:
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There is no glamour in burning out
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We tend to think that the more pressure we put on ourselves or on others, the better work will be. We think there’s glory in being overburdened with work. Deepika dispelled this myth perfectly: “I’m not saying that anyone has said it to me, but even if I look at the corporate world, for example—asking for leaves, or taking offs or just wanting time for yourself, there is this connotation of it being unprofessional or not hard-working enough, not driven enough, and I disagree.
I feel like you can be all of those things and still make time for yourself. How are you going to replenish? How are you going to put good energy back into your work if you don’t replenish, if you don’t live life?”
Deepika plans on making these changes herself as an employer
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As the owner of her own production company, Ka Productions, Deepika was asked about what changes she would make as a producer. Her answers surprised us pleasantly, because they were heavily focused on making life easier for the crew, with a special emphasis on work-life balance. Here’s what the actor said:
“I think to begin with, the hours that we work, especially for the crew. There is this sort of sense that ‘Make people work extra and work overtime and work continuously and you’ll get the work done faster.’ My thinking is completely the opposite. I feel like if people need to be given enough down time or enough rest, you come back with better energy, and that better energy anyway makes you work faster.
Not just faster, I think the quality of the output is far better. So if there’s one thing that I could do differently, is this, to just streamline the hours of work. Also, like the West, try and make it a Monday to Friday, five-day week. On a Sunday, nobody even calls you. There’s no message, there’s no call.”
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She also talked about the importance of paying people for making them work extra hours: “Step number two is to be compensated for the hours that are over. If the agreement is a 12-hour [workday], there could be days where you do go over—there is some technical issue. We then need to find a mechanism where they’re at least compensated for that on an hourly basis.”
Why this is so important right now more than ever
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Ever since COVID-19 came into the picture, the lines between work and life blurred considerably, especially with people working from home. For many, work never ends, and no day feels like a holiday.
Right now, more than ever, people are questioning the pros and cons of working too much, especially given how the past two years have rearranged our priorities massively. This is why, everyone needs to understand what Deepika is saying, if we want to work in a healthy way while also continuing to have a life beyond work.
Lead image credit: Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment
