Malayalam documentary ‘Sari and Scrub’ highlights the plight of domestic workers

Still from the documentary Sarees and scrubs
| Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Komalam became a maid at the age of 16; He is still one at 72. “I lost my parents when I was 10 years old. From then on life was difficult. Now I am alone and have to work to survive,” he says in a resigned tone.

He says this to the camera sarees and scrubs, Directed by newcomers Vishnu Mohan and Devendu SL. Clocking in at less than 29 minutes, the documentary looks at the lives of domestic workers in Thiruvananthapuram through the eyes of three women — Komalam, Karthika and Vasantha.

The matter is personal for Vishnu whose 50-year-old mother, Santhi Amma, is a domestic worker. “My mother’s mother was a domestic worker and my mother once finished school due to poverty. He nurtures us [him and his elder sister] With that income and continuing to work. I have always felt that there is no one to speak up for these people. So when I had to do a short documentary for my college project I chose this topic,” says Vishnu, a former journalism student of Christ Nagar College, Maranallur, Thiruvananthapuram.

“The project had a time limit of six minutes and that was not enough to bring out their problems and hardships. That’s when I talked to a lot of other people and made the documentary. It is a tribute to the community as a whole,” says Vishnu, who is also the cinematographer of the work.

Vishnu says that he and the documentary’s editor Devendu met more than 20 maids as part of their research. The documentary highlights the conditions these domestic workers live in. “Amma shared her experience with us and put us in touch with a few others she knew. Some of them are reluctant to open their mouths on camera. They were afraid of losing their jobs. Many could not take time out of their daily work to talk to us,” he added.

Maids talk about how society looks down on them. “After my father left us, my mother had to work. I felt that I should help him and decided to stop my studies. I shouldn’t have done that. My first job was taking care of two kids for a salary of Rs.200. It was a big amount for me then. But since then life has become difficult with unsafe working conditions,” says Karthika.

The documentary is directed by Vishnu Mohan and Devendu SL, Sarees and scrubs
| Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Komalam and Vasantha admit that they have grown accustomed to the monotony of their work. “We have to work at home too. There seems to be no end to it. I have employers who are not satisfied with what I do. Be it our children’s schools or government offices, we are shunned everywhere. But I choose not to complain. I need this job to keep my house running. I have had worse experiences while working in West Asia,” Vasantha points out.

Karthika adds, “Some employers treat us as if we are untouchable. Some are even disgusted by the well-dressed maids!”

Vishnu noted that most of the maidservants he met were resigned to their fate. For example, Komalam finds happiness in feeding a cat, crow and pigeon, which he calls family. “Despite being treated unfairly, I respect my job,” she says.

Still from the documentary Sarees and scrubs
| Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Premiered at the Thrissur Chetna 2024 International Film Festival, the documentary has been shortlisted for streaming on director Pa Ranjith’s YouTube channel, Neelam Social. It was selected for several film festivals and won a few awards.

Sarees and Scrubs will be screened at the 6th New Wave International Documentary and Short Film Festival in Kozhikode on November 9.