They Just Made It Worse: Deepika Padukone Again Slams L&T For Defending Chairman Subrahmanyan's Controversial 90-Hour Remark

Deepika Padukone has expressed her concern over Larsen & Toubro's chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s recent statement. He made a shocking remark urging his employees to work for 90 hours a week and even report to work on Sundays. The Singham Again actress, who is a mental health advocate, called out Subrahmanyan over his blatant disregard for labour laws in the country. Not just Deepika, but people from other industries, slammed Subrahmanyan for his controversial remark. To ease the situation, L&T later issued a statement defending and offering clarity to the chairman's remark. But it seems, Deepika is in no mood to forgive Subrahmanyan.

Deepika Padukone's reaction to Larsen & Toubro's statement

The company issued a clarification amid intense backlash from celebs, including Deepika Padukone, Harsh Goenka and Jwala Gutta. The statement reads, "At L&T, nation-building is at the core of our mandate. For over eight decades, we have been shaping India's infrastructure, industries, and technological capabilities. 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.”

Further clarifying, the company said the comment made by SN Subrahmanyan was an attempt to lay emphasis on the fact that ‘extraordinary outcomes require extraordinary effort’ and also reinstated the company's commitment to fostering a culture which is driven by ‘passion, purpose and performance’.

Re-sharing the post on her Instagram Stories, Deepika wrote, "And they just made it worse..."

How did Deepika Padukone react to L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s controversial 90-hour remark?

She re-shared journalist Faye D'Souza's post about the same and wrote, “Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements. #MentalHealthMatters”.

What Did SN Subrahmanyan Say, What Is the 90-Hour Workweek Controversy?

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan, in a recent video circulating on Reddit, suggested that employees should work 90 hours a week and even on Sundays to boost productivity and stay competitive. The remarks have sparked widespread criticism on social media.

"I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays, to be honest. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be happier because I work on Sundays too," he said. He further dismissed the idea of work-life balance with a controversial comment, saying, “How long can you stare at your wife? How long can wives stare at their husbands? Get to the office and start working!” To justify his stance, Subrahmanyan shared an anecdote about a conversation with a Chinese individual who credited China’s strong work ethic for its global competitiveness. “Chinese people work 90 hours a week, while Americans work only 50 hours a week,” he said, urging L&T employees to adopt a similar approach to stay ahead.