Against the backdrop of a newly liberated India, a young girl slowly comes to realize the power dynamic between her wealthy family and the man who serves them. Set in 1962 during the India-China war, Shankar’s Fairies follows Anjana, a child who has been born into unfettered privilege. She befriends her family’s servant, a middle-aged father named Shankar who, while tending to the house’s tasks, shares stories that paint a distinct picture of their culture and heritage. Her view of Shankar’s position in her home is unquestioned at first, but after his own daughter becomes ill, Anjana begins to contemplate her country’s entrenched class hierarchy. Shankar’s Fairies is the first narrative feature from director Irfana Majumdar, and is written by Majumdar’s mother Nita Kumar, based on her own experiences as a child and the close bond she shared with her family’s servant (also named Shankar).