Cotton Mary -

: Mary (played by Madhur Jaffrey ) is an Anglo-Indian nurse who is fiercely proud of her European heritage. Her nickname comes from her snobbish preference for fine English cotton.

The name typically refers to two very different, though both intriguing, historical subjects: a 1999 film exploring post-colonial identity and the grim true story of Mary Ann Cotton , Victorian Britain's most prolific female serial killer. The Film: A Tale of Identity Cotton Mary

: Mary insinuates herself into the household of a wealthy British family, the MacIntoshes, after helping the wife, Lily, with her premature baby. : Mary (played by Madhur Jaffrey ) is

: Mary uses this secret to gain power within the household, eventually displacing long-term servants as she tries to "colonize" the home and fulfill her dream of being fully British. The History: The "Black Widow" of Durham Cotton Mary (1999) - IMDb The Film: A Tale of Identity : Mary

: When Lily cannot nurse the child, Mary secretly takes the infant to her own sister, Blossom—a wet nurse living in a poorhouse—to be fed.

Directed by Ismail Merchant , the film Cotton Mary is set in 1954 India, shortly after British rule ended.