Malayalam cinema has always scored good in elegantly capturing subtle emotions in realistic settings and 'The Great Indian Kitchen' is another gem to its kitty.
The movie begins with an arranged marriage, following which the Gulf grown but traditionally rooted Malayali bride tries to assimilate into her new family that has a respectable legacy. The plot from then on is effectively steered through the routine chores within the conventional family kitchen. After the initial few days of orienting the new daughter-in-law to the ways of the house, the mother-in-law flies to the U.S. to take care of her pregnant daughter. This puts the daughter-in-law in charge of piloting the kitchen on her own, and her struggles in navigating without bumping into the fragile male egos of the house occupies centerstage.
While the fact that Indian masculinity would take offence if men step into the kitchen is obvious, the lack of respect even for norm abiding women within this patriarchal setup isn't. The director beautifully employs nuances like 'lethargy in fixing the sink' and 'table etiquettes' to showcase disrespect within very common everyday situations. In one scene, the woman takes a jovial jibe at the her husband's habits, without realizing that she is stepping onto a landmine. Well, sharing a lighter moment has to be with equals, and whenever the woman seems to forget that, there is always enough testosterone to remind her of it. Nothing exemplifies the unequal nature of Indian marriages as the unevenly shared sexual pleasures do, and the director had dealt with this deftly. By merely trying to soft-pedal her need in bed to her husband, the woman attracts his wrathful snub. The smooth unfolding of the classical sequence of how a woman's professional aspirations are curtailed within Indian families is another praiseworthy narration.
The plot then delves into the controversial aspects involving menstruating women and Ayyappa Devotion. While the makers didn't consciously go the distance to advocate a stand in the polarizing issue, they've nonetheless made their point. Interestingly, the story doesn't villainize the men in the movie, but rather targets the gender roles and social structures that we've inherited over the generations. With minimal budget and appropriate casting, focusing strongly on storyline and screenplay, Malayalam cinema has once again proved that it doesn't shy away from opening up discussions on sensitive social issues.
The most striking aspect about the movie is the usualness of its scenes in a majority of Indian households. This is the story of our mothers, our aunts, our sisters, our cousins and most other married women we know. Considering how entrenched we are in patriarchal ethos, if you are a woman, this might even be your story, and if you are a man, it might as well be the story of your wife!
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