Isha Koppikar recalls hospitalisation nightmare after working round the clock for 5 days, Bharti Singh says: ‘We work until 15 minutes before we faint’ | Bollywood News
4 min readMumbaiFeb 27, 2026 02:35 PM IST
Thanks to Deepika Padukone’s reported demand for an 8-hour work shift on films like Spirit and the upcoming Kalki 2898 AD sequel, a conversation has finally begun within the film industry about limiting excessively long working hours. Over the past year, several celebrities have shared their opinions on the matter, with some supporting the demand and others remaining sceptical. Recently, while appearing on the YouTube channel of comedian Bharti Singh, actress Isha Koppikar and Bharti’s husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa discussed working conditions across the film and television industry.
‘We work until we can’t stand’
The conversation began when Bharti was talking about her desire to contest elections but mentioned she wouldn’t be able to dedicate much time to politics due to her two children. Listening to this with a smirk, Isha said, “But nowadays, you’re expected to give only 8 hours. Those who have children get just 8 hours”, a sly jab at Deepika’s demand for an 8-hour shift after becoming a mother. Haarsh, playfully reacting, asked, “Who said that?” To which Isha laughed, “I don’t know.”
Bharti appeared clearly shocked listening to this. When Isha was asked how long she works in a day, she replied, “They make you work until you can’t stand,” meaning non-stop work until exhaustion. Haarsh humorously added, “Until 15 minutes before you faint.” He further recalled, “We wake up at 6:30 a.m. and come home at 3 a.m.,” clarifying that this happens, “Just a day in a week.” Bharti commented, “It’s something that can’t be done every day.” Isha added, “Your body will give up.” Haarsh said, “It’s impossible. Even those who work in fiction usually do a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift.”
‘I ended up in the hospital’
Isha then recalled an experience from her own career while shooting back-to-back films Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi and Right Ya Wrong. She described working around the clock for five straight days, which led to a physical collapse. “It was so hectic at that time that I didn’t even have time to go home from Film City, so I asked the producer to organize a place for me to stay there. I used to shoot from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and then from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day. This cycle repeated for five days, and on the sixth day, I ended up in the hospital.”
Also Read | Deepika Padukone lets go of The White Lotus, refuses to audition for the Emmy Award-winning series: report
Previously, speaking about her demand for an 8-hour shift, Deepika told Brut India, “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. And I am saying this, if I may say so myself, as a top star, so you can only imagine what the working conditions must be like for everyone else, for the crew, for example.”
When asked if she had been labelled “too difficult” for making such demands, which are considered standard in most industries, Deepika immediately pointed out that male actors have been following this practice for years. “I am not the first one to ask for something like this. In fact, there are a lot of actors, male actors, who have been working on an 8-hour shift for years, and it’s never made headlines,” she said.
