Bollywood has a new talking point, and it is all about — Jimmy Shergill highlights gruelling 18-hour work schedules of film crew members; says, “My fight is for the workers”. Fans and trade analysts have been closely following every update, and the latest development adds another chapter to what has been an eventful week for Hindi cinema.
The Story So Far
Add as a preferred source on Google performer Jimmy Shergill, who has spent three decades navigating the Hindi movie industry, has spoken candidly about a side of filmmaking that rarely makes headlines – the long and often punishing hours endured by workers on set. In an special conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, held while promoting his highly anticipated Netflix show Operation Safed Sagar, Shergill turned the spotlight away from actors and onto the crew members who keep productions running.
Shergill elaborated that actors typically work 12 hours a day that can stretch to 15, saying, “From the time we are called, which is one to one and a half hours before time, till the time we pack up, for actors, it’s 12 hours of shooting, which eventually becomes 15.” He pointed out, “That is still okay.” For workers, he said, the hours are far longer.
“My fight is for the workers,” Shergill said, explaining that crew members arrive hours before actors and stay well after wrap. Counting it out himself, he said, “12 plus three plus three, 18 hours, followed by their travel time back home.” Shergill questioned the toll such schedules take on workers’ personal lives, saying, “So he’s just going home to meet his wife and come back.
What kind of life is he living?” He pointed out that many endure these conditions simply because they have no alternative. “Somebody has to genuinely take care of that because health is the most important thing for the workers. A guy doing that every single day is not gonna last too long,” he said, adding that life is more than money and that those in power need to recognise this.
Shergill pointed to international norms as a benchmark, saying, “Everywhere in the world, the timing is 12 hours. You should work however much you want within those hours, but after that workers need their own time.” He acknowledged his own privilege as an performer, noting, “We actors are privileged because we might be able to wrap up our work in those 15 to 20 days and go back home and sleep.
The workers can’t.” Shergill will next be seen in Operation Safed Sagar, alongside an ensemble cast including Dia Mirza, Siddharth, Amrita Bagchi, Abhay Verma and Mihir Ahuja. Operation Safed Sagar premieres on Netflix on August 7. Also Read: Operation Safed Sagar: Vishal Dadlani’s ‘Aazma Le’ pays tribute to Indian Air Force ahead of Netflix first screening Catch us for latest Bollywood News, fresh Bollywood Movies update, box office numbers, fresh Movies arrival, Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & highly anticipated Movies 2026 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on the publication.
For now, fans have plenty to discuss, and the industry has plenty to analyse. TeraMovies will be tracking every twist in this story as it unfolds, bringing you the full picture from the world of entertainment.
