The Great Indian Kitchen
1 Hr 40 min
Imdb – 8.5/10
The Great Indian Kitchen follows the journey of a woman from a happy bride to a frustrated housewife, who struggles to be someone her husband, his family and society as a whole expect her to be.
How do you write a review for a movie where it seems like nothing is happening, but with every frame of nothing, something stings inside?
The movie starts with a conventional ‘pennu kaanal’ (boy’s family visits the girl’s house for a wedding proposal) which eventually leads to a wedding. An accurate depiction of the whole event like the grand feast preparation, girl and boy being served a mixture of banana, milk and sugar as part of customs and other rituals are meticulously shown.
After the celebrations, it is back to reality.
The women of the house go to the place chosen for them; the kitchen, and begin their day. They make an elaborate breakfast, followed by an assortment of dishes for lunch, a tasty evening snack, and then something fresh for dinner. Since we eat every day this is what they do EVERY DAY.
The husband and father are nice to the women, are polite and respectful. So where is the problem? You get a glimpse of the husband’s patriarchal behavior when they eat out at a restaurant and gets angry at his wife’s harmless comment. But life goes on as it always does.
The Great Indian Kitchen Movie Review
The wife’s real struggle starts when her mother in law has to go away for a while and leaves her in charge of the household. It not only meant she had to cook, but also clean the house, wash clothes by hand and everything else that falls under the umbrella of a ‘house wife’.
With every dosa she makes, every curry she cooks, every mess she cleans, frustration builds inside the wife and the viewer. It yells out all the big words that we love to hate, patriarchy, anti feminism, misogyny, and suppression, without actually talking about it.
Using just one room of the house, the movie speaks about a myriad of issues rampant today. The kitchen reveals the problems between a couple, within the in-law family, within the girl’s family and finally society in general. It also touches upon religious factors that play a huge part in every girl’s life.
The Great Indian Kitchen Movie Review
Where does this all end is what we have to see in this brilliant movie. The creators have done such a good job of conveying a powerful message that it hits all the right notes and makes you sit up and take notice. The main characters don’t even have names in the movie ensuring that it is applicable to everyone.
Months of frustration surely need an epic ending and they undeniably deliver on that. It will leave you oddly satisfied and at the same time disturbed that this is the way the world works and the cycle of patriarchy never really ends.
Why to watch
- Feminism
- She is the first to wake up and the last to bed
- Story of all Indian Kitchen
- Excellent acting by the lead couple
- Powerful ending
- Thought provoking
Also check Bollywood movies based on social injustice and crime against women and their fightback
