Shriya Saran says Drishyam 2 sent her home before Ajay Devgn

When Shriya Saran returned to the Drishyam franchise, she was not just stepping back into a thriller—she was learning to be a working mother on a film set. In a new interview, the actor says the Drishyam 2 team quietly reshaped its schedule around her eight-month-old daughter, from the first reading to the daily wrap time.

The accommodation was simple but unusual in an industry known for long, irregular hours. Saran told India Today that the production would let her leave early, sometimes even before Ajay Devgn, because the team understood she had a young child at home. “They were very supportive,” she said.

A schedule built around baby sleep

Her first reading for Drishyam 2, she recalls, was timed to coincide with her daughter’s sleep window. That small adjustment set the tone. During the shoot, the team continued to be mindful, sending her off as soon as her work was done.

The interview arrives amid a broader push in Hindi cinema to make sets more accommodating for working mothers. Actors such as Deepika Padukone, Kajal Aggarwal and Parineeti Chopra have spoken openly about balancing motherhood with shoot demands. Deepika’s call for an eight-hour workday has become a flashpoint in a business that often treats long hours as a default.

Why this matters for film sets

Saran’s experience offers a quieter counterpoint: change does not always require a policy overhaul. It can start with a reading planned around a child’s nap or an early wrap for a new parent.

• Readings and meetings can shift to fit a parent’s childcare window.
• A predictable call sheet can matter more than a grand overhaul.
• Wrap times can be staggered without hurting the shoot.

For Saran, motherhood has also changed the kind of work she wants to do. She says she now chooses films her daughter might one day be proud of, and the little one has already started reacting to her songs. Saran says her daughter tells her, “I love Mama in this song,” which she calls the best award as a mother.

Drishyam 3 keeps the franchise going

The conversation returns to the screen with Drishyam 3: The Conclusion, which released on October 2. The film has collected over Rs 303 crore worldwide in four days, according to the source, keeping the franchise’s box-office momentum strong even as its actors talk about a healthier way to work.

For audiences, the takeaway is bigger than one actor. It is a glimpse of how the industry can retain talented women after childbirth—not with grand promises, but with small, consistent adjustments.

Source: India Today