‘No pay, no leaves’: Shark Tank judge Namita Thapar draws parallel between Urmila from Ramayana and today’s housewives

Namita Thapar has drawn parallel between Urmila’s often-overlooked role in the Ramayana and the contributions of housewives today. Her LinkedIn post, which highlighted unpaid domestic work, sparked a discussion on recognition, gender roles and the unequal distribution of household responsibilities.

Shark Tank India judge and entrepreneur it has highlighted the often-unrecognised contributions of housewives, drawing a parallel between Urmila, Lakshman’s wife in the Ramayana, and homemakers today.

In a LinkedIn post, Thapar said watching the Ramayana in a theatre made her reflect on how Urmila’s sacrifice often goes unacknowledged. She connected this to the unpaid work undertaken by homemakers, who, she said, often receive neither financial compensation nor formal recognition for their contributions.

Thapar also recalled her mother's experience. She said her mother married at 19 and gave up her ambition of becoming an air hostess, while leaving her MA in French midway. Recalling her childhood, Thapar said she had witnessed her mother manage household responsibilities while facing comments that suggested homemakers had more free time and less stress than working women.

Reflecting on those experiences, Thapar wrote: “No pay. No leaves. No awards. No office parties & offsites. No sick leaves either.”

She also highlighted the loneliness some women may experience as their children grow up and leave home, while urging homemakers to make time for their own interests, hobbies and travel. Thapar encouraged families to share household chores and called on people to appreciate the women who manage their homes.

“Every Urmila deserves this,” she wrote.

Namita Thapar's post sparks debate over unpaid domestic work

Thapar’s post prompted discussions on the value of homemaking and whether domestic responsibilities should continue to fall disproportionately on women.

One user described homemaking as a highly valuable profession, writing: “According to me the highest valued profession is of a housewife!!”

Another commenter argued that a woman's contribution should not be measured by her earnings, writing: “A woman's contribution doesn't become less valuable because it doesn't come with a salary.

And her sacrifices shouldn't become permanent expectations simply because she makes them out of love,”

A third user questioned why sacrifice should be necessary for someone to receive appreciation, while another challenged the idea of treating household work as a woman's individual responsibility.

The commenter wrote: “There's a whole Hindi epic by Maithili Sharan Guptan, Urmila. And she wasn't a housewife & the concept of a housewife doesn't exist in Indian mythology. In Hindi, it is called "Grah-Laxmi" and not "Ghar-Biwi". While I empathise with your narration, we keep imposing "housewife" as a job instead of imposing the idea that "the house is everyone's job,”

The discussion brought out two related questions: how unpaid domestic work can receive greater recognition, and why household responsibilities are not shared more equally.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.