- Friday, January 10, 2025
Sharing a post about L&T chairman’s statement on her Instagram Stories, the Bollywood star said it is “shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements”
By: India Weekly
BOLLYWOOD star Deepika Padukone has joined the backlash over L&T chairman S N Subrahmanyan’s controversial comments about wishing employees worked on Sundays.
The remarks, shared in an undated video circulating on social media, have sparked fresh debates about work-life balance and mental health.
In the video, Subrahmanyan is heard saying, “How long can you stare at your wife?” and adds, “I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays.”
Sharing a post about the statement on her Instagram Stories, Padukone described it as “shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements #mentalhealthmatters.”
The comments drew widespread criticism online, with some questioning why highly paid executives with different job pressures expect similar levels of commitment from less-paid employees.
Responding to the controversy, L&T issued a clarification. “The chairman’s remarks were in the context of extraordinary efforts required for achieving extraordinary outcomes for the nation,” an L&T spokesperson said.
“We believe this is India’s decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realise our shared vision of becoming a developed nation. The chairman’s remarks reflect this larger ambition.”
Padukone, known for her advocacy on mental health through her foundation The Live Love Laugh Foundation, dismissed the clarification by posting it on Instagram with the comment, “And they just made it worse…”
The episode has revived the ongoing debate on work-life balance, which resurfaced after Infosys Co-Founder Narayana Murthy recently suggested a 70-hour work week.
Murthy had previously stated, “India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world… my request is that our youngsters must say, ‘this is my country, I want to work 70 hours a week’.”
