Urban Company spotlights bias against blue-collar vs white-collar migration in India

Fundamental has launched the fourth instalment of Urban Company’s influential 'Dignity Of Labour' platform. Carefully crafted with the restraint of realism, the new short film unobtrusively but firmly challenges perceptions around blue-collar v/s white collar migration in modern day India. 

At a time when the global narrative around migration is undergoing intense scrutiny, the inherent ‘blind-spotting’ of waged, manual labour brings the conversation closer home. Juxtaposing the aspirational framing of a white-collar move from small town to big city against the involuntary bias surrounding blue-collar migrants, the film exposes the unspoken double standards around which one career or profession or indeed one human is subconsciously considered ‘better’ than the other.

Commenting on the campaign, Neeraj Kanitkar, co-founder, Fundamental said, “Are some dreams, struggles and journeys worthier than others? Different, sure. But there’s an incredible kinship in the shared experience of  “no matter where you are today, you’re trying to get to a better tomorrow.” It perhaps binds us all. That we don’t always see that the engineer with an MBA is on the same journey and sharing the same pain, grit and joy as the AC repair technician is the blindspot that this story aims to shine a light on. Bringing the film to life was a learning all on its own. We engaged a dialect consultant – Ravi Pandey – to find just the right word or phrase that the AC technician could inadvertently be slipping into, allowing the customer to pick on the roots of the man. We explored terms which had their origins in languages like Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magahi. Before settling on “bohaar” which means swept / cleaned. Shachi Malhotra, the director, worked with casting director Kavish Sinha to find performers who felt right not just in terms of their acting but also their provenance. We wanted it to feel as authentic as possible. After that we just had to get out of the way of the actors and keep the cameras rolling.”

Adding to that, Ambalika Sen, managing partner, Fundamental said, “Urban Company’s Dignity of Labour has been the prestige project driving us for the past couple of months. Opportunities like these find you when values align - and this once, that was just the case. Especially on a brand that champions service excellence with equal commitment to human dignity and equality for all professionals across the workforce. Hat-tip to the solid foundation laid over the first three editions — the work that paved the runway for this property, making it rewarding to build on a legacy with something that adds meaningfully to the series. We knew from the start that this one isn't just another brief. It comes not only with expectations, but also purpose - and team Fundamental is here for it.”

Tarun Menon, senior director, marketing at Urban Company, says, “With each instalment in this series, our intent has been to reflect on the unconscious biases that influence the service economy. In this fourth film, we explore the unconscious hierarchies that place one migrant’s 'progress' above another’s. Our platform exists to elevate every professional on equal footing, and this story is an invitation for viewers to recognise the shared grit, pride, and aspiration that unite us all, regardless of the uniform we wear.”