What did Kirti Kulhari say in her old interview about the salary of a domestic help? How did Mini Mathur react to Kirti Kulhari’s statement? What were the arguments of social media users regarding the salary of domestic workers in Mumbai?
Household Worker Salary: After an old interview of actress Kirti Kulhari surfaced online, actress Mini Mathur has narrated it fiercely. In this interview, Kirti had expressed surprise over the salary of a domestic help (maid), after which a new debate has erupted on social media.
A video of an old interview is going viral, in which Kirti is talking about shifting to her new house on Yari Road in Mumbai and being surprised to hear the salary quoted by the maid for domestic work. As soon as this video resurfaced, Mini Mathur and many Instagram users reacted to it. Some people said that it is difficult to manage the rising expenses in metro cities, while others felt that Kirti’s words were far from reality, especially for a city like Mumbai.
Commenting on a post with this old video, Mini Mathur wrote, “Just imagine how much their two hours give us a chance to earn in two hours. This is less than the minimum wage anywhere in the world.”
An Instagram user wrote, “I understand their priorities, but this seems completely different from the reality of anyone living in Mumbai. Rs 10,000 is basic and should be given with respect.”
Another user commented, “Even if she works in 5 houses, she will be able to earn 50 thousand per month by working 10 hours. In a city like Mumbai, one needs at least 50 thousand to live a respectable life. I don’t think this is a wrong demand.”
In an interview given to Bollywood Bubble, Kirti had told, “I was also talking to my manager about this. I have just shifted to a new house in Yari Road, and… after hearing the rates we got from the cook and the maid, I started thinking, ‘These rates were incomprehensible’.”
When the interviewer asked how much money she was asked for, Kirti replied, “I don’t remember exactly, maybe for two hours of work, which included sweeping, mopping, utensils. I wanted all the household work like dusting, mopping and washing utensils to be completed in two hours. He asked me for Rs 10,000. I was surprised, ‘You are coming for two hours, you are doing as much work as you can… and then you are asking me to do it. Why are you asking for Rs 10,000? At that time we thought, ‘Looking at our face, is it that they will have it, let’s just ask for a little more.'”
The issue has now sparked a huge online debate about domestic work, fair wages and the economic challenges of living in big cities like Mumbai. While some users justified Kirti’s surprise, others argued that domestic helps are often paid very low salaries even though they help working professionals manage their busy schedules.