A video of actress Kirti Kulhari discussing her domestic help's salary has gone viral on social media, sparking widespread backlash. In the clip, Kulhari expresses disbelief at being charged Rs 10,000 for two hours of household work, a comment that many netizens found out of touch. Even actress and television host Mini Mathur weighed in, defending the maid's wage as below minimum wage.
Kirti Kulhari's Comments on Domestic Help Salary
During an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Kulhari shared her experience after moving to a new house in Yaari Road. She said, "I was discussing this with my manager as well. I have recently shifted to a new house in Yaari Road, and the rates we were quoted by the cook and the maid — I was like, 'How do these rates even make sense?'"
When the host asked about the approximate charges, Kulhari laughed and said, "I don't know, like, for two hours of work — which includes sweeping, mopping, and doing the dishes — I wanted that whatever could possibly be done within those two hours, like dusting, laundry, and other household chores, would all be taken care of."
She then revealed, "She was charging me Rs 10,000." The actress continued, "I was like, you are coming for two hours and only doing as much work as you feel like… and then you are charging me Rs 10,000 for what? At that point, we were thinking, 'Are they looking at us and assuming we must have money, so they might as well ask for more?'"
Backlash and Reactions
The clip, shared by Uncut India, quickly went viral and drew sharp criticism. Actress and TV host Mini Mathur commented, "Think of how much her 2 hours enable us to earn in 2 hours. This is below minimum wage anywhere else in the world." Comedian Vivek Samtani added, "That is barely $2 per hour, and that is too much? Wow."
Other netizens also voiced their disapproval. One comment read, "So how much do you charge for 2 hours of your craft?" Another said, "They deserve it! The maid deserves it! And the cook deserves it too!"
About Kirti Kulhari
On the professional front, Kulhari was last seen in Himesh Reshammiya's film 'Badass Ravi Kumar', released last year. In December, she reprised her role as Anjana Menon in the fourth and final season of the web series 'Four More Shots Please!'. Personally, she confirmed her relationship with actor Rajeev Siddhartha earlier this year.
This controversy highlights ongoing debates about fair wages for domestic workers in India, where minimum wage standards are often not enforced in the informal sector.
