‘Why damn Deepika Padukone’: Akshay Kumar doesn’t work a second after 8 hours, says Abhishek Bachchan in old viral video

Reports suggest that her decision to limit her working hours to eight per day—as a new mother—was a key factor in her stepping away from the projects.

In the midst of the discussions, an old video featuring Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Riteish Deshmukh from The Kapil Sharma Show has gone viral.

The clip, from the promotional tour of a Housefull installment, shows Abhishek and Riteish playfully calling out Akshay Kumar’s strict work schedule.

“Pack-up hote hi, sabse zyada excited insan — Akshay Kumar,” Abhishek said.

“Aath ghante se zyada kaam nahi karte hain yeh. Subah saat baje aayenge set pe… turant meter chalu.” Riteish chimed in, “Time starts now.”

Abhishek added humorously that even during costume changes or makeup breaks, Akshay sticks to his schedule, wrapping up right on time.

This video resurfaced amid Deepika Padukone’s recent comments, where she highlighted the double standards in Bollywood.

In an interview with CNBC-TV18, she noted that male superstars have long maintained 8-hour workdays without drawing criticism or controversy.

“By virtue of being a woman, if that’s coming across as being pushy or whatever, then so be it,” Deepika said. “But it is no secret that a lot of male superstars in the Indian film industry have been working for eight hours for years, and it’s never made headlines.”

She further pointed out that many male actors work only Monday to Friday and rarely on weekends—yet those choices are normalised.

Calling out the systemic disorganisation in Bollywood, Deepika emphasised the need for a more structured approach. “While the Indian film industry is called an ‘industry’, we’ve never really functioned like one. It’s extremely disorganised, and it’s about time we brought in proper systems and structure.”

Speaking to Brut India, she added, “I don’t think what I’m asking for is ridiculously unfair. I think only someone who’s worked in the system enough will understand the kind of conditions we work in.”

Deepika also clarified that she’s not alone in this demand. “I know many women—especially new mothers—who have started working 8-hour days. But that didn’t make headlines either. So I don’t quite understand the outrage.”