Mumbai: Director Mohit Suri talked about the much-discussed eight-hour shift for actors. Suri opined that the thought of work-life balance should be extended beyond actors. He talked about how important it was to consider the well-being of the crew.

“I have had actors work 24 hours when needed. When we were shooting for Awarapan, and we had a really expensive location in the presidential suite of the Intercontinental Hotel on the terrace, we had it only for 24 hours. I remember Emraan Hashmi shot 24 hours with me… We are making it an ego argument. Why should someone dictate the shift? But let’s look at how quality of work happens, right? I mean, if a unit is working 12 hours on the shift, they are actually working 14 hours because they are loading, unloading. They’re getting paid only for that 12 hours. I mean it could be even 15 hours. Then they go home,” said the director, while speaking to Variety India.

He explained work-life balance discussion should include the film crew. Suri added that people were only talking about actors getting their beauty sleep.

“We are making this more about the actors and thinking they are demanding it. But let’s think about the unit because I’ve been an assistant director who, after the shoot has packed up, is waiting in the bus while the unit wraps up in the rain, while the lightmen wrap up, to be dropped at the station. And I know how difficult it is for the rest of the unit. We are getting egoistic about the fact that an actor has suggested it. But let’s think about the humanity of this also,” said Suri.

The controversy regarding work-life balance emerged after Deepika Padukone exited Spirit following the refusal of her request for an eight-hour workday.