Nishtha Jain is a middle-class professional who likes all contemporary expediencies because she feels that they promote femininity. When she was young, she refused to learn the cultural ways of her mother unless her brothers did the same. She claims that she was “born a feminist.” As soon as she moved out on her own, she hired a maid so that she wouldn’t have to do the housework. She didn’t want to follow the stereotypical ways of women in Mumbai, India culture. Jain decided to create a documentary, which she directed herself, about her personal relationship with her maid, Lakshmi, and her own developing feelings towards social groups, rankings and freedom for women. In the film, Jain also focuses on Lakshmi’s life and the struggles that she as to overcome on a daily basis because of her social class and because she is a woman.
Today, one might be shocked that India’s people are still predestined by the caste system. However, if you are a professional woman in India, you aren’t expected to do household tasks, but you are expected to have a bai to do it for you. A bai woman in India is one who comes from a lower class background and is expected to do nothing but housework. This shows that even though women are seemingly gaining power in the world, they are actually losing some power because they are still using other women to do their “womanly” chores and responsibilities.
I believe the main argument that this documentary is expressing is that people, especially women, need to come together as a whole and stop letting ancient traditions and social norms keep them apart. In order for women to continually gain equality, rights and power, they need to look past the cultural norms, social classes and backgrounds and work together in a way that is beneficial to all.
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