New Delhi: Chatter around domestic workers’ pay has shifted from the family WhatsApp groups and apartment society discussions into a full-blown social media debate, thanks to actor Kirti Kulhari.
A video of the ‘Four More Shots Please!’ actor speaking about the salary expectations of domestic workers has gone viral online. Many people say the amount mentioned by the domestic worker was completely reasonable and perhaps even lower than what many workers charge in Mumbai today.
“I was discussing this with my manager, too. I’ve recently shifted to a new house on Yaari Road, and the rates quoted by the cook and maid left me shocked. I was like, ‘How do these rates even make sense,’” Kulhari said, speaking to Uncut India on 27 May.
The actor revealed that she was paying Rs 10,000.
“For two hours of work, which includes sweeping, mopping and washing utensils. I wanted all possible household chores within that time to be covered, like dusting, laundry and other work too. She was charging Rs 10,000,” she said.
The clip quickly spread across social media platforms, with users debating whether the actor’s reaction reflected the widening gap between urban living costs and expectations around domestic labour.
Many Instagram users pointed out that domestic workers in metropolitan cities now commonly charge similar amounts due to increasing expenses, long commutes and rising workloads. Several others also argued that the conversation highlighted how undervalued household labour remains, despite being physically demanding work.
Actor and television host Mini Mathur also weighed in on the controversy and supported the domestic worker’s demand.
“Think of how much her two hours enable us to earn in two hours. This is below minimum wage anywhere else in the world,” Mathur said.
Comedian Vivek Samtani also reacted to the debate: “That is barely $2 per hour, and that is too much? Wow.”
The discussion has since evolved into a larger conversation online about fair wages, class privilege, and the economics of domestic work in urban India, with many users saying the viral clip exposed how normalised underpaying household staff still is.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)