The Great Indian Kitchen-Women’s Reactions to Traditional Family Structures

The entire film takes place in a house where four people live: a senior couple, a son, and his newlywed wife. This movie clearly shows men retire at a particular age, but women never do. They have to work at any cost, while the men in the house continue to flex their muscles by reigning over the women in their environment.

The father & son don’t bother to help; instead, they wander around aimlessly. They demand food & sit around playing cards. Women work nonstop to make the former’s life easier. Basically “ the great Indian kitchen” is a supply house that produces the fire and steam needed to run man’s world. While masala movies can hit big box office numbers, The subject of labor in mainstream cinema might be difficult to tackle. To put it another way, this film is more content-oriented and has a lower budget.

Movies have all the elements — husband-wife conflicts, emotions & loneliness. Watching this film makes me wonder how women recall so many details and multitask so effectively. The film requires patience because it runs nonstop for over 40 minutes without any big dramatic interruptions or dialogue. It’s like the camera is turned on & the actor is required to perform everything in front of the camera, including cutting veggies, cooking, and serving.

I kind of like the approach the director did here. He took an entire 40 min to portray the details of the tough life a young wife has to settle into. Dawn till dusk your body is not at rest & yet they have to please their husband. Film starts with a low key, with a good view of the characters’ milieu. Marriage happens & awkwardness begins right away.

Director doesn’t put many dialogues or conversation instead reflects what the individual is going through, women’s reactions to traditional family structures. All of the characters appear to be real, and any family can relate to them.

All in all, ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ is a well -written & well-executed movie. Nimisha Sajayan steals the show with a stellar performance. She gets into the shoes of her character in an extraordinary way. This movie can’t be categorized into one genre. Don’t miss this one.

The Great Indian Kitchen Trailer

Stars: Nimisha Sajayan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Ajitha V.M.
Director: Jeo Baby
Writer: Jeo Baby

Author: Hawrry Bhattarai