Preity Zinta Reveals Why She Worked 18 Hours for Vibe

• Preity Zinta said she worked up to 18 hours a day while shooting Vibe.
• She said her priority was completing the shoot quickly so she could return to the US and spend time with her children.
• Zinta described the schedule as demanding, citing action sequences, weather and illness among the challenges during filming.
• Her comments come amid a wider Bollywood debate over actors’ working hours, including Deepika Padukone’s advocacy for structured eight-hour workdays.
• Vibe, written and directed by Kunal Kemmu, is scheduled to release in theatres on September 18, 2026.

Preity Zinta has revealed that she worked up to 18 hours a day while shooting Vibe, saying her decision was driven by a desire to complete the film quickly and return to the US to be with her children.

Speaking at the trailer launch of Vibe in Mumbai on Wednesday, Zinta offered her perspective on the ongoing debate over working hours in Bollywood. She stressed that individual circumstances can shape how actors approach demanding schedules.

“Each to its own. Of course, I was working for 18 hours because I wanted to finish my work as soon as I can and go back to America to be with my kids. My focus was, ‘I will come, I will finish it, bas mera kaam jaldi khatam kardo’. That was my reason,” she said.

Zinta explained that she was in India for around 30 to 40 days for the shoot and chose to devote her time to completing her professional commitments rather than socialising. She described the schedule as tough, noting that filmmaking involved factors beyond the performances themselves.

“It’s not always that everyone is laughing on set. You want to get the job done. There was a lot of action. There were many other variables. Sometimes it was raining. Sometimes you were sick,” she said.

The actor also spoke about the physical demands of the film’s action sequences.

“The action was very difficult, I have to say. I’ve always thought that actresses have to work harder with songs and everything else. But wow, when we shot the action sequences, the hours were very long. I did get kicked, punched, and hit here and there, obviously not on purpose,” she said.

Zinta credited the film’s action team for helping her complete the sequences, praising their work during the lengthy shoot.

Her remarks come against the backdrop of a broader discussion in the Hindi film industry about working hours and the need for more structured schedules. The conversation gained renewed attention after reports linked Deepika Padukone’s departure from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit to disagreements over working conditions, including a reported request for an eight-hour workday.

Padukone has previously argued for an eight-hour working day, saying long hours can contribute to burnout. She has also said her own office follows an eight-hour, five-day working week and has maternity and paternity policies.

Zinta’s comments offer a different perspective based on her circumstances while working on Vibe: she said the extended hours were a personal choice intended to compress her time on the project and allow her to return to her children sooner.

What is Vibe about?

Vibe is written and directed by Kunal Kemmu and marks his second directorial feature after Madgaon Express. The action-comedy stars Kemmu alongside Zinta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Vanshika Dhir, Yashpal Sharma and Dinesh Lal Yadav.

The film follows two ordinary friends who become caught up in an unexpected high-stakes mission. Zinta plays Madam H, an action-oriented character that Kemmu said he considered her for partly because audiences had not previously seen her in this kind of role.

At the trailer launch, Kemmu said he was a longtime fan of Zinta and had considered her while writing the character. He ultimately felt her casting would be unexpected and therefore suited the part.

Produced by Kunal Kemmu and Chirag Nihalani under Drongo Films, Vibe is an Amazon MGM Studios film. It is scheduled to release in theatres on September 18, 2026.