'Saathiya' actress Sandhya Mridul calls out salon discrimination after domestic help denied haircut: 'It’s the mindset'

Actor Sandhya Mridul has spoken out after a young woman who works as a domestic help at her mother’s home was allegedly denied haircuts at two salons. Mridul said the incident left her angry and hurt, and she used her post to question how domestic workers are treated in daily life. She said her mother had to request and plead before one salon finally agreed to provide the service.

Sandhya Mridul - salon discrimination row

According to India Today, Mridul shared a video and wrote that “Every person deserves dignity, respect and kindness.” She said the young woman, who is in her 20s, was turned away because of who she was.

Mridul said her mother first took the woman to one salon, where the staff refused to cut her hair. They then went to another salon. That salon also refused at first. Her mother then argued, requested, and even offered to pay more because the young woman felt bad.

The salon eventually agreed to give her a haircut. Mridul said her mother later took the woman out for lunch because she was upset after the experience.

Mridul also said she was not naming the salon because it is located in a private building where her mother lives. She said she wanted to protect her mother’s privacy and focus on the larger problem.

Domestic help dignity debate grows

“The issue is much larger than one establishment. It’s the mindset,” Mridul wrote, according to the report.

In the video, the actor said the incident had deeply upset her. She questioned how people could still behave this way and spoke about spaces where domestic workers face restrictions, including salons and elevators.

Mridul said the problem was not only with the staff at such places. She said residents and customers also create these rules when they ask buildings and services to keep domestic workers away from certain areas.

Several people reacted to her post. Shabana Azmi called the discrimination unacceptable, while Parmeet Sethi wrote, “Really saddened.”

Mridul is known for her work in films, television, and streaming projects, including 'Page 3,' 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.,' 'Saathiya,' 'Swabhimaan' and 'Koshish.'