Pujarini Pradhan Interview
But when people actually started listening to me, and for the first time in my life I earned a little bit of money, I thought all of it was worth it, because I didn't give up.
Q. You call yourself a young mother from a small village. How would you introduce your life and the reality behind what people see on their screens?
For people on social media I'm fighting patriarchy, trying to move out from the village but in reality I'm just trying to live my life freely. Sometimes I share things which make me very angry, at the end I can't do anything more than that. I have no one along with me to fight this system, I can't do it alone. I can't put my family in danger, we're not privileged enough to fight it by living among them.
Q. There are everyday hardships that rarely make it to social media. What’s one struggle you face as a woman in rural India that you wish more people understood, not with sympathy, but with awareness?
Domestic violence. It is normalised on so many levels here that people stop reacting to it. They just talk about incidents and move on. Women are used to getting beaten by their husbands. Women don't want to leave their family as they have nothing. They have children so they just adjust to it. People on social media tell me to spreas awareness about these things but I believe they will hate me if I tell them to leave their husbands
Q. You document both hardship and hope. How do you decide when to share your story publicly to inspire others, and when to keep parts of your life private to protect your peace?
I used to share videos with my son, but since my videos went viral I stopped posting him. Maybe in future I'll delete all the videos I have with him on the internet. I realised that the more I'll share about patriarchy the more hate I'll get. And I don't want that to affect my son in the future
Q. Living in a village often means navigating deep-rooted traditions and limitations. What’s one change you wish could come to women’s lives in your community, something small but powerful enough to shift the way they’re seen?
The ghunghat. I hate it. It's the women who will judge me or talk about me the moment they see my head is bare. And the men will complain about it to their family. I wish people would see women as individuals not just something to follow traditions blindly.
Q. Access to basic things like healthcare, childcare, or education is still a privilege for many. As a young mother, which of these gaps affects you the most, and how do you cope with it in daily life?
We actually don't have a hospital here, not even a doctor. All the doctors we have are self- taught so I don't trust them. So whenever we get sick, we go to the city to private doctors because doctors in the government hospitals don't check properly.
We have government schools, most of the village children study there. These days people who have a little bit of money send their children to private schools. We have decided we will homeschool our son till he is 6 and then send him to primary school.
Q. Many women quietly redefine strength in ways that never make headlines. When was the last time you felt truly strong, not because of success, but because you didn’t give up?
From the age of sixteen, I tried everything to continue my studies and do something on my own, but every time something horrible happened. I always thought I'm not going to make it. Now I get mocked for saying things I say on social media. But when people actually started listening to me, and for the first time in my life I earned a little bit of money, I thought all of it was worth it, because I didn't give up.
Q. Your videos have started conversations far beyond your village. Has there been a moment when you realized your story had changed someone else’s life or perspective?
Yes, my mother-in-law. She is 75 years old. There are other women who always question other women's choices or discuss how daughter-in-laws are bad. My mother-in-law now listens to me and tells them to shut up and I don't have to do anything.
Q. And to end on a lighter note. After a long, exhausting day, what’s one simple thing that makes you feel like yourself again?
I get exhausted after all day work , and mostly because of my son. He runs all day long and never rests. We have a pond in front of the house and so many foxes around so I've to always be with him. At the end of the day, my husband makes the dinner and I sit in the kitchen with him, my son running around.
I open my Instagram and find so many people wishing the best for me and it's me- time. That is the time I feel most like myself.
Bio:
Pujarini is a mother, a homemaker, a woman, and now, a content creator. From the kitchen to the camera, it has been a long journey, one built on the trust and love of thousands of women who see a reflection of themselves in her. Through her words and stories, she speaks about patriarchy, gender inequality, and the quiet hopelessness that women in rural areas often carry. She's just a simple woman trying to find her own path, someone who received the right education and now seeks freedom. Freedom from everything that once tried to define or confine her.
Interviewed by- Rupal Kargeti
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