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Actor Kirti Kulhari has found herself at the centre of an online debate after a clip from her recent interview went viral. In the video, the actor spoke about the amount quoted by a domestic worker after she moved into a new home in Mumbai, saying she was surprised by the rate. Her comments, however, did not go down well with many social media users, who argued that the amount she mentioned was fairly standard for household help in the city.
Kirti Kulhari Talks About Hiring Domestic Help In Mumbai
During an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Kirti opened up about shifting to a new house in Yaari Road and discussing domestic help rates with her manager. The actor said she was taken aback by the amount quoted by a cook and a maid.
She said, “I was discussing this with my manager as well, abhi maine naya ghar shift kiya hai, Yaari Road me, and… the rates we got from the cook and the maid, I was like, ‘How do these rates make sense?’”
When asked about the amount, Kirti explained that she expected the domestic worker to do sweeping, mopping, dishes, dusting, laundry and other household chores within two hours.
She said, “I don’t know, like, for two hours of work, which is jhadu, pocha, bartan. I wanted ki jitna do ghante me hota sakta hai, dusting, kapde, jo ho sakta hai, woh sab aap karenge gharka.”
Kirti then revealed, “She was charging me Rs 10,000.”
The actor said she wondered whether the rate was quoted because people assumed she could afford to pay more due to her profession.
She added, “I was like tum do ghante aa rahi ho aur tum apne hisab se jitna kaam hota hai kar rahi ho…and then you are charging me 10000 bucks for what? At that point, we were like, kya humari shakal dekh ke matlab aisa ho raha hai ki, inke paas toh honge, thodasa aur mang hi lete hai.”
Mini Mathur Reacts To Kirti Kulhari’s Comment
The clip soon circulated widely on social media, where many users criticised Kirti’s remarks. Several pointed out that Rs 10,000 a month is not unusual for domestic work in Mumbai, especially considering the physical labour involved.
Actor and television host Mini Mathur also reacted to the video and defended the value of domestic labour. She wrote, “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 also responded, writing, “That is barely 2$ per hour, and that is too much? Wow.”
Netizens Call Out Kirti Kulhari
Many social media users echoed similar views. One user wrote, “Bro that’s normal in Mumbai,” while another commented, “10,000 a month sounds reasonable to me idk what’s her deal.”
Another user questioned the actor directly and wrote, “So how much do you charge for 2 hours of your craft?”
One comment read, “I empathise with her priorities but this does sound rather out of touch with any Mumbaikars lived reality. 10k is basic and ought to be paid with gratitude and respect.”
Several users also used the controversy to speak about dignity of labour and fair wages. One person wrote, “How is it less? It’s back breaking work… why shouldn’t someone get paid likewise? Why are we so open to exploiting a certain class of jobs just because it isn’t labour that’s more physical than cerebral in nature? We need to be far more respectful of such jobs and pay likewise.”
Another commented, “Empowerment on-screen means nothing if we don’t practice it at home. Domestic work is heavy physical labor, and marginalized women deserve a living wage. In a city where rent and groceries are sky-high, they are simply trying to charge a rate that allows them to survive.”
A user also wrote, “They deserve it!! The maid deserves it and cook deserves it too! When actors charge millions for one movie and ads how does that make sense!”
Kirti Kulhari’s Recent Work
On the work front, Kirti Kulhari was seen in Himesh Reshammiya’s Badass Ravi Kumar last year. She also reprised her role as Anjana Menon in the fourth and final season of Four More Shots Please!, which premiered in December.
Earlier this year, Kirti also confirmed her relationship with actor Rajeev Siddhartha. On New Year, she shared a reel featuring several pictures of the two together and wrote, “A picture is worth a thousand words… ❤️#happynewyear happy2026 everyone… ❤️.”
Kirti was previously married to Saahil Sehgal. The two separated in 2021 after five years of marriage.
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