Appreciation post for 'The Great Indian Kitchen'

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Image source- Wikipedia

I do not write reviews on my blog about books or films, but this movie has intrigued me to. The Great Indian Kitchen is a Malayalam movie on Amazon Prime Video which very well depicts the patriarchy in Indian households. 

Though the movie is in Malayalam language, subtitles are available in English for people who cannot understand Malayalam language.

Set in a South Indian town or rural area, it shows the male privilege prevelant in the the small towns and villages in India (also in metropolitan cities).

The female lead character, an educated woman and dancer, raised in Bahrain, is married to a guy in a regressive family. The movie shows her struggle of fitting in to a family where she doesn't belong in the first place.

The instances in movie like expecting the girl to hand the toothbrush to her father-in-law, make rice in firewood, having to manually clean one person's clothes seperately, etc
She is also expected to clean up the mess at the table after every meal while the husband and father-in-law will not have any table manners at home. She doesn't get any help from husband after repeatedly reminding about plumbing issues and not given 'allowance' to do a job etc shows the male privilege and no support from the "men" of the house.

Though the characters of husband, father-in-law and other relatives were of a mysogynist, the role of mother-in-law (husband's mother) is praise worthy. We need more mother-in-laws like that in our households.

It also depicts how the menstruating women are shown as 'impure' in small towns and villages. And the various rituals and customs to get rid of the 'impurity'. Kerela is the highest literate state (movie being set in village/town of Kerela) and if the mentality of being shown 'impure' is in the Kerela, it indirectly tells how much worse this would be in less literate states of India.

It reminds us of the reality in majority of Indian households even today. Women are still expected to hold a glass for their fathers, husbands or brothers when they come back from work, keep their shoes polished, keep the breakfast ready by the time they get ready, and clean the dining table and put the utensils into the sink while men read newspapers or plunk into the sofa watching TV and playing video games.

Not giving any other informationšŸ¤« so as to not give any spoiler. 

This movie sets an example of sharing the chores at home and respecting the women of the house as equals, sharing their load and not taking away their freedom. This story shows what feminism actually is.

Do watch it on Amazon Prime Video. You wouldn't regret the time spent watching it for sure.

Jan 2025: Sanya Malhotra's Mrs. is released on OTT, which follows similar storyline.
Hello, I am Ritika Jakhotiya, the blogger behind Ritika Ruminates. I am an English graduate and currently pursuing an M.A. in English. I love reading and writing. Ritika Ruminates (formerly 'Blogging With Ritz') is my personal blog site, where I write about things close to my heart (and mind) and dish out my thoughts on topics that concern me or inspire my creativity. These topics include books, cinema, feminism, social themes/taboos, and travel. Before you leave, please hit the follow button and subscribe to get notified about new blog posts and share the post with others. I also create content (as a reader) on my Instagram @thisisritika_j, where I share book reviews, relatable memes and reels.

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