An Indian film confronts the plight of domestic servants in the country and the brutal way that they are treated
Middle-classIndian moviegoers are set to squirm in their seats as a new film explores howwealthier families treat the household staff who answers to their every whim. "Delhiin a Day" tells the story of an idealistic British traveller who finds heis stuck in a stifling and snobbish home where poorly-paid and vulnerabledomestic workers are taken for granted and casually humiliated.
The familytaunt and bully their staff, who -- in a scenario familiar to millions of urbanIndian homes -- work around the clock cooking, cleaning and completing anendless list of other duties expected of modern-day servants. Director PrashantNair says his film uses flashes of comedy to shine a light on the uncomfortablerealities of contemporary life in a country that has been transformed in manyways by two decades of economic growth.
"Therich hire the workers and expect them to do everything," he said."They enjoy the right to insult, abuse them and even accuse them ofstealing. Domestic workers are always the first suspect. I wanted to show howthe sole aim of the worker is to appease their masters as they cope with aconstant sense of insecurity and live with the fear of being fired for thesmallest error."
Nair, 34,said the divide between servant and employer was getting wider as traditionalbonds have been broken by mass migration to Indian cities and the growing trendagainst extended families living together. Many Indian servants are youths frompoverty-stricken states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and can be paid aslittle as 1,200 rupees a month if they are given spartan accommodation in the house.
Set in asprawling bungalow in the leafy part of New Delhi, Nair's film relates how theBritish visitor -- played by Lee Williams -- has his dreams of a"spiritual journey" in India dashed by a scandal over stolen money. ActivistRamendra Kumar, who heads domestic workers' union Delhi Shramik Sangathan,hopes the movie will boost the campaign for better legal protection when it isreleased in 65 cinemas nationwide.
"Afactory worker can file a court case against the employer to claim a pensionand other benefits but a domestic worker cannot make any such claims," hesaid. "There is no legislation in place to define their rights, there isnot a single law to protect the rights of domestic workers. They have to liveon the mercy of their masters -- and many employers miss no chance to exploitthem."
Since 2010,his union has registered more than 400 complaints by domestic workers in NewDelhi who say they were beaten or abused for overcooking vegetables, forgettingto wash dishes or over-sleeping. Nair says such attitudes exist widely acrossIndia, and that many families live lives of luxury that depend on theexploitation of household staff.
