Manju Warrier with the domestic helps. Photo: Tony DominicManimekhala struggles with her Malayalam. The Tamil girl who found a job as a domestic help in Aluva has not seen many Malayalam movies yet her favorite actor is Manju Warrier.
Manju Warrier is “Pachakkari Akka” for Manimekhala from her character in How Are You who told the girl about the toxins sprayed on the vegetables we eat. The movie inspired Manimekhala to start cultivating vegetables in the house of her employer, Sreelatha.
Language was not a barrier when Manimekhala met her screen idol. Manju surprised the girl by talking in Tamil. The actor had spent her childhood at Nagercoil and she grew up with a couple of Tamil caretakers.
Reel and real life mixed when the actor met with the domestic helps who won a selfie contest Manorama organized to coincide with the release of Udhaharanam Sujatha, Manju Warrier’s latest outing. The ‘Made for Each Other’ contest was meant for domestic helps and their employers. As many as 20 housewives and their helps participated in the contest.
“Always call them assistants. They do the jobs that we cannot do,” Manju Warrier said as she mingled with the humble participants as a little sister would do. She said she loved and respected the housemaids because she had direct knowledge of their burden while working on the movie.
The title character in Udhaharanam Sujatha is a domestic help who works in six or seven houses a day to raise her daughter.
The actor was faced with real life scenes of solidarity and loyalty. Fancy Babu, a former captain of the Kerala University basketball team, owed big time to her aide Mini ever since she was paralyzed at childbirth 20 years ago. The paralyzed woman draws as much support from Mini as from her husband and children.
Fancy refuses to call it quits. She does all jobs from her wheelchair and Mini is there to help her out.
Chinna has been a companion for Sophy for 40 years. Chinna wanted her favorite actor to visit Sophy’s house. She offered to cook her signature Mambazhapulissery for Manju Warrier.
Like Chinna, Mini and Manimekhala, everyone had a story to share. Some of them were just happy to touch Manju Warrier. The braver ones lovingly kissed the actor.
The housewives were gifted mixers and their helps Rs 10,000 each.
