India, Oct. 17 -- Mansi carries the weight of adult responsibilities from childhood. How does this forced acceleration of maturity become both her strength and her blindness as an adult? What does she see clearly that others miss, and what does she fail to recognize about herself?

When I began seeing reels and posts (and even a New York Times article) about the 'Eldest Daughter Syndrome' last year, I immediately thought of Mansi. Girls in Indian families are forced to assume responsibility at a young age - they are expected to care for younger siblings, help the mother with chores, be on their best behaviour around the family elders - and they have 'maturity' thrust upon them. But in most cases, and certainly in Mansi's case, this maturi...