In a bold critique, director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri exposes how 12-hour shifts are transforming Bollywood into a creativity-crushing factory. His revelations underscore a troubling trend where endurance trumps inspiration, jeopardizing the industry’s future.
Agnihotri elaborated on the human cost: ‘Makeup endures briefly; by late afternoon, prosthetics slip, stamina wanes, and creativity withers.’ Driven by frugality, shoots stretch interminably, a practice tolerated amid India’s labor gaps and absent strictures.
Using everyday examples, he illustrated the absurdity—endless hours from painters or singers yield diminishing returns. Bollywood’s reality amplifies this: 12-hour calls morph into 14, layered with commutes that devour days. Performers, bound to radiate allure, falter under the strain.
Agnihotri’s own battles speak volumes: ‘Shifts end me creatively—thoughts stall, fatigue engulfs body and soul.’ He rallied for stakeholder summits to devise solutions. Beyond health risks, such regimes sabotage quality. Bollywood’s path forward demands shorter, smarter schedules to reignite artistic fire.