How to Get Ahead When You’re a Laundryman in Mumbai | Op-Docs

In India during religious festivals, political elections and even banal events like politicians’ birthdays, large banners go up in public places. These posters share nearly identical elements: portraits of devotees, politicians or aspiring politicians and messages devoted to elders or the gods.

In the midst of the pandemic two years ago, the streets of my neighborhood in Mumbai were filled instead with cautionary signs about the coronavirus. With nationwide restrictions and the major religious festival of Ganeshotsav approaching, would the quintessential posters heralding the festival also change?

I began spending time with a group of neighborhood laundry workers whose association regularly created and featured themselves on posters. Their work is in hopes of enjoying a few days of fame. As they say, “Without a poster, you don’t exist.”

"Party Poster" is a wry exploration of how religion, politics and science intersect in a ubiquitous poster culture.

More from The New York Times Video:
----------

[Adi-dfub]

He doesn't need a poster now, he got a documentary on him on The New York Times.

[d]

"Don't serve anyone without mask, " says Mr Chinmask. Watching them argue about how to politicize the virus for their own gain was pure gold. Gave me flashbacks to 2020 in America. We're all the same. Thanks Rishi ji for this documentary.

[afan]

How do documentaries like this manage to capture such natural and unselfconscious behaviour from people? I'm genuinely very curious.

[vikkismith]

back in the days doing laundry was a tough job before washing machine gets so popular.There are people who are still doing their laundry by hands in some parts of the world .

[chuathianpoh]

Power of “advertising yourself”… promoting yourself and your services… telling people what you can do… like “calling cards”… ingenious way to make a living!

[dischc]

I understand the role religion plays in society now. Those laundrymen will never own a car, own an iPhone, or eat a shake shack burger and will die still being laundrymen. But their belief in god and impossible dream that a billboard will propel them into the upper class serves to distract from the reality their future days will be no better than their past. 10/10 documentary 👌

[RafalReyzer]

This was actually very funny and well done

[LoveAlwaysAlwaysLove]

I think he'd be happier as a model rather than a politician.

[liveandletlive]

How many times have we seen the lines of homeless, drug addicted us citizens under the sky scrapers of LA after 7pm 🙏

[superawesomecaptainmcfluff]

Absolutely fascinating. I knew from the title of the video that it was going to be an interesting, and well made one. Thanks!

[iamtheone]

It's as true as Trump's black hair

[TimelyTurtle]

Lol he's hoping for being Minister.
😂😂😂

[AdrianRodriguezWebDevelopment]

The joke is on us for watching their add on YouTube for more than 20m 😂

[liveandletlive]

How many pakistani immigrants do u guys employ to cover india, u really need to show that data

[cableknitter]

Should be called "How I Got Ahead As A Poster Maker In Mumbai" But of course the big-shot guys never seem to want to acknowledge the bigger-shot women right in their midst.

[liveandletlive]

India should take up the issue of age old Anti-india propaganda at UN, before another beloved pakistani enginer fly into thier skyscrapers

[az]

Bathing directly into a well and they wonder why...

[bagabundo]

Must be nice being number juan in my village

[modernpronationalistharshg]

Iss this news 📰
These western peoples