A strong-willed housewife decides to find a job to supplement her family’s meager income. Despite the challenge to convention, she becomes a door-to-door salesperson for a manufacturer of sewing machines. Although she establishes herself well within the industry, her family pressures her to quit until a shift in their fortunes changes her standing among them. Recalling the subtle comedies of Yasujiro Ozu, the film tempers the family’s dire financial situation with the often humorous presence of anglicized Indian characters who proudly defy tradition.