Comedian Vir Das playfully jabbed at remarks made by Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy regarding the ’70-hour work week’ culture.
.“Life’s hard. You meet a girl, fall in love, get married. Her dad wants you to work 70 hours a week. You can’t work that hard, you just wanna chill and run England,”
He posted a tweet in response to Narayana Murthy’s statement, which quickly generated online buzz.
In another tweet, he quipped:
“If you’re working 70 hours a week, 5 days a week, essentially from 9am to 11pm. Getting home by 12.30, leave home by 7.30? You should be allowed to fart in your bosses office. If you’re going to request relationship like time commitment, you’ve got to accept the intimacy too”
Vir Das’s comments followed Narayana Murthy’s emphasis on the necessity to enhance India’s work productivity during his appearance on 3one4 Capital’s podcast, “The Record.” During the inaugural episode, Murthy argued that unless the younger generation in India commits to significantly longer work hours, the country might struggle to keep pace with economies that have seen remarkable progress in recent decades.
As expected, Murthy’s statement set off a flurry of reactions on social media. Many criticized him for seemingly endorsing an overwork culture, likening it to a modern-day “slave culture.” On the other hand, some defended him, suggesting that he may have been misquoted and that he was highlighting the significance of adopting a strong work ethic rather than advocating for excessive hours.
What is your perspective on the longstanding discussion surrounding the contrast between ‘hustle culture’ and work-life balance?