Chitrangda Singh urges industry to look beyond actors in shift-timing debate

Actress Chitrangda Singh has weighed in on the growing discussion around regulated shift timings on film sets, stressing that while actors are largely taken care of, the conversation must urgently widen to include the crew members who form the backbone of the film industry.

Asked about her experience, how crucial is the change towards regulated shift timings on film sets for mental and physical well-being, the actress told Media: “I think it definitely is important. Actors are still very well taken care of. There is a lot of, you know, regard for their time, for their comfort. Usually producers, as much as they can, and directors try to work around their time.”

Drawing from her experience, Chitrangda highlighted that technicMedia such as light men, art department staff and set workers often put in far longer hours than those visible on camera.

“But I feel what we also need to discuss is probably the light men, the set guys, who, the art and all these guys, because for a nine o’clock shift, if I come at seven for hair and makeup, they are there from 5.30 in the morning or not, maybe five in the morning, and then they’re the last ones to go and the first ones to come.”

She added that long travel distances and limited transport options only add to their exhaustion.

“I feel that it’s very, very tough, you know, most of the time they’re sleeping on sets, poor guys. So that kind of regularization is something that I think actors should be pushing for.”

The actress believes actors should actively push for this change, making it an industry-wide concern rather than a selective one.

“I think that is a far more important conversation. Yeah, that is what maybe we should address as, you know, I don’t know, as a thought to the well-being of every person in the industry and not just the actors.”

Addressing the argument that structured work hours could hamper creativity, Chitrangda firmly disagreed. According to her, better working hours directly translate into improved efficiency and productivity.

“Better working hours will definitely help everybody. There is no doubt about that. There is no doubt about that, that better working hours will improve everybody’s efficiency.”

At the same time, she spoke about the practical realities of filmmaking.

The actress said: “But at the same time, sometimes there are small budget films, there are mid-budget films, and they have to look at the business end of it as well. So, that also has to be considered. I mean, it’s not a corporate job. I think that is something one needs to be very clear about.”

She added that filmmaking often demands flexibility, especially during writing and editing phases that frequently stretch late into the night.

“We cannot put the same kind of corporate rules to the film industry. So, there has to be a mature call on everything. You know, a balanced call is what I mean.”