Ghar Ki Murgi review: Sakshi Tanwar shines in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s short film saluting the silent toil of homemmakers

Ghar Ki Murgi
Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Cast: Sakshi Tanwar, Anurag Arora

A homemaker is the glue that binds the family together. From the time she wakes up in the morning till she tiredly falls asleep, she wears many hats. She efficiently runs the household, juggling chores such as cooking, washing, cleaning and shopping for groceries; at the same time, she supports her husband, guides her children and looks after her in-laws. It is a thankless job, but then again, is it a job or is it her “duty”?

The short film Ghar Ki Murgi, which premiered on Sony LIV on Women’s Day, shows the drudgery in the life of homemaker Seema Bhatia (Sakshi Tanwar), who selflessly puts her family’s interests above her own, day after day, but it all goes unacknowledged. When her husband mocks her side business of running a beauty parlour one evening, it triggers her feelings of discontent and she decides to go on a month-long holiday to Goa, to take a break from the confines of domestic life.

“Tum kaam thodi na karti ho. Ghar pe hi toh rehti ho (But you don’t work. You stay at home all day),” is her bewildered husband’s response. It is only when the household threatens to come to stasis in her absence that her family members sit up and take notice of her contribution.

As per a World Bank study in 2018, India ranks 120 among 131 countries in female labour force participation rate. With more than 75 per cent adult women staying home,director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s nuanced portrayal of the wrung-out homemaker’s life is as relevant as it is hard-hitting.

Sakshi Tanwar makes you feel for her the moment the screen opens with the pressure cooker releasing steam - a metaphor for her bottled up emotions desperately looking for a release. She infuses the part with the right blend of quiet resilience and vulnerability, and is ably supported by Anurag Arora, who delivers a solid act as the neglectful husband.

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Ghar Ki Murgi has a linear and predictable graph but still manages to be affecting, without resorting to any melodrama or cliche. As we celebrate the achievements of women in the workforce on Women’s Day, let us not forget to honour the homemaker and her invaluable contribution to the family ecosystem.

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