Manju

'Laapataa Ladies', India’s entry for the 2025 Oscars in the Foreign Film category, is a story about two brides swapped during a train journey. Directed by Kiran Rao, the film delves into themes of financial independence, women’s aspirations, and self-discovery, offering a refreshing take on feminism and patriarchy.

Manju Hari, from Pathanamthitta, began growing and selling moss roses after her husband lost his job during the pandemic. She has over 100 varieties of the plant in her nursery, including Cinderella, Jumbo, and Table Rose. She sells the plant at Rs 5 per stem, and now earns enough to sustain her family.

From a barber to a painter: these Indian women who have defied societal norms and stormed male bastions.

When death and hardship knocked at her door, Manju did not let it knock her down. Instead, she decided to enter the male bastion of the Jaipur Railway station and take up the decidedly male profession of "coolie" (porter) - the first woman in the entire North Western Railway region to do so! Here she talks about her insecurities, her concerns and her sources of strength in dealing with surely one of the toughest jobs in the world.