: Mary insinuates herself into the household of a wealthy British family, the MacIntoshes, after helping the wife, Lily, with her premature baby.

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

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

: 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.