So the play is the story of Kalki and the actors on stage, but it is also the story of a majority of Indian women for whom childcare is primarily their responsibility, all the drudgery they are expected to do and how the endless hours they spend raising the young are taken for granted.

In a scene that most mothers would see their lives reflected in, a young couple talks about their day when the man returns from work. He’s tired, but at least he has a story to tell about his day.

And then he asks his wife how her day was. He opens his mouth to speak and then mutters, “I just took care of the baby.”

According to the latest government data published in the Times of India, externalchildcare and housework keep around 69% of women out of the workforce in Indian cities; for men, it is only 1%.

And mothers who choose to have a career have to work twice as hard, Kalki says.

“There is a lot of pressure nowadays because we are told that we are very lucky to live in this day and age where we can work and be mothers and we can have it all. But at the same time, there is an expectation to be some kind of supermom. And we don’t relax on the home front. We have to be the CEO of the house at all times,” says Kalki.

However, some of the pressure, Kalki says, is exerted by women especially because it is expected of them. be good mothers.

“Many times I am in the middle of a shoot and I call my daughter’s nanny and organize her tiffin. I think it stems from this expectation of being the perfect mother.

“But I think it’s important to allow parents or other family members to take that space. And we wanted women to know that if we do that, not everything will fall apart. It’s okay to drop the ball and not feel like you’re responsible for everything.”