Actor-director Nandita Das, on Saturday, said India’s fast-growing convenience economy is built on “deeply unequal” structures that expose gig workers to risk, insecurity and loss of dignity, even as consumers are increasingly pampered by app-based platforms. Speaking at the Kolkata Literary Meet alongside journalist-author Vandana Vasudevan, and moderated by Mitakshara Kumari, Das said her film Zwigato emerged from observing how delivery workers live under constant pressure from ratings and algorithms. It told me this is a story of our times.”Das said working-class protagonists have “vanished from our collective narratives”, even though gig workers form the backbone of the digital economy. “Behind all the digital dazzle is human labour.”Vasudevan said doorstep delivery has normalised “extreme passivity” among consumers. “No distance is too long, no task too trivial and no worker too harassed in the service of consumption.”Referring to the recent nationwide strike by gig workers, Vasudevan said the protests reflected years of accumulated frustration.

Source: The Telegraph January 25, 2026 08:08 UTC