'L&T MADE IT WORSE': DEEPIKA PADUKONE NOW BLASTS L&T FOR DEFENDING CHAIRMAN'S 90-HOUR WORKWEEK PROPOSAL

Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone, known for her recent role in Singham Again, has voiced her concern over a controversial statement made by SN Subrahmanyan, chairman of Larsen & Toubro. Subrahmanyan sparked outrage when he suggested that his employees should work 90 hours a week, including Sundays.

As an advocate for mental health, Deepika has criticized Subrahmanyan's disregard for both labour laws and the well-being of employees and expressed her shock at such statements from individuals in senior positions, emphasizing the importance of mental health with the hashtag #MentalHealthMatters.

Following a backlash, an L&T spokesperson released a statement clarifying the chairman's remarks. The spokesperson emphasized that nation-building is central to L&T's mission, highlighting the company's role in shaping India's infrastructure, industries, and technological advancements over the past eight decades. The statement also noted that the company believes this is India's decade, a time that calls for collective effort and commitment to achieving the goal of becoming a developed nation. The spokesperson explained that the chairman's comments were meant to reflect this broader vision, stressing that exceptional results require extraordinary effort. L&T reiterated its dedication to fostering a culture driven by passion, purpose, and performance.

Now, Deepika Padukone reshared a post of the statement from journalist Faye D'Souza, and wrote, “And they just made it worse..."

This isn't the first time a business leader has stirred controversy with similar remarks. Earlier, Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy made headlines for urging young Indians to work 70-hour weeks to drive the nation’s progress.

Deepika Padukone public appearance

In other news, Deepika Padukone made a public appearance at a concert by Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh in Bengaluru, where she danced on stage to songs like Hass Hass and Lover. This performance marked her first public outing since the birth of her daughter, Dua. Deepika, a Bengaluru native, had a special connection to the event as it was held in her hometown.

Deepika's career has been a massive success, with a remarkable debut in Om Shanti Om alongside Shah Rukh Khan. The pair have since become one of Bollywood's most successful on-screen duos. In 2023, Deepika starred in two blockbusters with SRK: Pathaan and Jawan, both of which played a significant role in revitalizing Bollywood's box-office performance after the pandemic. Before her role in Singham Again, Deepika was seen in the pan-India film Kalki 2898 AD, alongside Indian cinema legends like Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Kamal Haasan, and Saswata Chatterjee.