The Great Indian kitchen is a remarkable film that made a stir after it hit streaming platforms a couple of months ago. This low budget Malayalam movie is a scathing critique of patriarchy and the institution of marriage in an Indian context. The central characters of a newly wife and husband are brilliantly portrayed by Nimisha Sajayan and Suraj Venjaramoodu as director Jeo Baby presents a powerful work of art that makes us squirm and boil.

Here are a few aspects of the Indian society the movie depicts-

Benevolent sexism

The patriarchy in the great Indian kitchen is not explicit, nor are the men violent or rude, there is no wife beating husband or dictatorial father-in-law. Through smiles and subtle gestures, women are coaxed and coerced into staying in line, while their roles as housekeepers are glorified.

Male entitlement

The lives of the female characters largely revolve around catering to men who often offers advice on how to cater them better. Suraj’s character is totally indifferent towards a leaking kitchen sink even as he expects food on the table and everything to be in order

Gendered spaces

As the plot unfurl we notice that The women in this movies are almost invariably found in the kitchen and towards the back of house while they are busy with their endless chores while men dominate the living rooms and verandas while leisurely engrossed in exercising and scrolling on their smartphones.

Sexual autonomy

The movie explores how female sexual agency is undermined and devalued in Indian marriages. Sexual intercourse is according to the whims and moods of the husband as Nimisha’s character struggles to reclaim her bodily autonomy. A mere suggestion of foreplay is chided by her husband who finds it a preposterous notion which she shouldn’t even be aware of.

Internalized misogyny

The women in The Great Indian Kitchen are the typical mothers and wives in an Indian household; silent, obedient, and victims of years of conditioning. We see Nimisha's mother actively participate in instilling patriarchal values in her.

Religion and tradition

The movie further delves into more contentious themes as it illustrate how religion and tradition acts as tools of oppression in the lives of women, in the form of of archaic rituals and superstitions that remains prevalent in our society.

-Kiran Palathingal

(originally written and published on Instagram at @therecusant_)