Ananya Panday defends Deepika Padukone’s right to express a new mother’s needs, terming the debate a private matter. Panday highlighted how priorities change post-motherhood, stressing that conversations about work-life balance are crucial and achievable. She credited Kareena Kapoor Khan with paving the way for working mothers in Bollywood, stressing that open dialogue with filmmakers is essential.
Ananya Panday has come out in support of her former co-star Deepika Padukone, after an all-out controversy over her alleged preference for 8-hour shifts ever since becoming a mother. Speaking during her latest interaction, Ananya was joined on the hot seat by Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kalyani Priyadarshan. During the chat, Panday defended her ‘Gehraiyaan’ co-star, insisting that she had just expressed her needs as a new mother and that the discussion was a ‘private matter’.
Ananya Panday defends Deepika PadukoneReflecting on her time with Deepika on set, Ananya told Hollywood Reporter India: “I worked with her before she became a mother, there was nothing like that. She would work, come for workshops, there were no complaints, she didn’t ask for anything, that kind of way.”However, Panday added that the actress’s priorities may have changed since she embraced motherhood and welcomed daughter Dua with her husband,
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“She is a mother now and this is what she needs,” she said, adding, “Being with her child at some point during the first two years is a challenge.”Ananya Panday praises Kareena Kapoor KhanThe actress also pointed out that conversations about work-life balance are not new in Bollywood. Moving on to Kareena, she praised her for her efforts in helping change the perspective of working women and working mothers in the Bollywood film industry. “Kareena did that. She changed the game for all the girls who followed her,” Panday noted.Ananya Panday encourages dialogue between filmmakers and actorsShe stressed the need for dialogue between actors and filmmakers, saying: “So, I think it’s okay to have a conversation with your producer, to find a balance between it being a private conversation you have to have, and this being something that can be resolved.”
“There is no hard and fast rule like ‘nai karenga, nai karna hai’. I think everyone is allowed to have this conversation,” she concluded.Deepika made headlines last year when she walked out of an expensive film due to the filmmakers’ refusal to meet the requirement of an 8-hour shift and higher pay. The actress has since gone on to share how motherhood changed her priorities from career to focusing on her child’s well-being.
