Ram Kamal Mukherjee

Frankly speaking, I don't know Huma Khan personally and after what she did to her 12-year-old maid in Pune, I really don't want to know her either. I remember her as Laxmikant Berde's love interest in Sooraj Barjatiya's Maine Pyar Kiya. She was not a great actress and neither did she claim to be one.

I was shocked to find out that she wasn't a great human being either. Huma tortured her young maid and also indulged her 'rakhi' brother to rape the young girl several times. It made me wonder how some people just fail to understand that maids are 'paid labourers' and not slaves.

I would not like to mention the name of her maid in my blog, because I know it for a fact that she must be going through loads of s**t already with the media talking about it and making an issue out of her misery.

A tabloid published a macabre photograph of the maid with burns and bruises all over her body. The police commissioner mentioned in his statement that Huma had not only burnt the girl's body with cigarette butts but had also stabbed her genitals.

I have a feeling that Huma and her brother are mentally sick and need medical help, what say?

I read a report the other day, in which the victim's mother has asked the police commissioner not for any monetary compensation but for justice. Wonder when that'll happen?

In our country, people prefer to keep young maids, especially kids so that they can be trained for the job. It's a pity that even after numerous laws have been issued against child labour by the Central Government, people continue to hire children and treat them miserably.

Let me narrate an incident to you. Once this lady, a director's wife (I would not like to mention the name) and also a self-proclaimed social worker, had invited me to lunch at her place. After we finished with our food, I found her removing the leftover mutton pieces from the curry into a plate. On asking her the reason, she shamelessly explained, "The cook didn't steam it properly. Don't worry, I will give it to my maid, she will eat happily. Gaon mein kaun sa mutton khate honge yeh log (They won’t be eating mutton in the village)." She obviously didn't have any qualms about serving the maid uncooked leftovers from her plate.

What's more, I heard the same person talking and commenting upon Huma Khan's barbaric act on electronic channels. Now, this is what you call double standards!

I also know an actress' mother who literally yelled at her maid once for having an extra piece of fish for lunch. She abused the hell out of that lady and made her life miserable. "You brain dead ass!@#* pig…how much you hog…" she just went on, while her dog kept barking at the maid. There was little difference between the animal and her.

But not everybody is the same. It's only a handful of people like her and Huma who earn bad reputation for the entire film industry. I have interacted with several stars and I have seen how affectionate they are to their maids and servants. Most of them treat their maids as a part of their family. And some share a clear-cut 'master and paid help' relationship. I’m perfectly fine with both. I’m fine with anything until there is physical abuse involved.

I have seen how Raima and Riya respect and also depend on their age old maid Sukhi. I can't imagine either sister talking to her rudely ever.

"First of all, getting trustworthy people is very important. But at the same time, I think, since they are serving and staying with us, they should be treated with care," said Hema Malini who always takes care of her maids and drivers.

If on the one hand there are stars who misuse their power over their maids, on the other are some stars who get duped by their servants. I know of an actor who was surprised to find his maid, who was working for him for over a decade, run away with his laptop, mobile and ipod. So, we have rotten apples everywhere. But still we live; we live because we have hope.

While we have fiends like Huma Khan, we also have actors who have groomed their maids, sponsored education for their kids and helped them get married. What's more, we have people like Amitabh Bachchan who did a film for his make-up artist free of cost!

I'm sure that people all around will have many such stories to tell. We need awareness…certainly, after what Huma Khan did to her 12-year-old maid.