The Great Indian Kitchen

The Great Indian Kitchen

An educated dancer raised in Manama, Bahrain, enters into an arranged marriage with a schoolteacher from a traditional, deeply patriarchal family in Kerala. Although the relationship begins with the initial bliss of a new marriage, the reality of her new life sets in immediately. The grueling daily drudgery of the kitchen—dealing with grease, piles of filthy utensils, and leaking taps—is left entirely to the women, while the men leisurely indulge themselves with their smartphones or yoga. The household's rigid patriarchal structure dictates that the mother-in-law must hand the father-in-law his toothbrush while he lounges on the veranda. Furthermore, the men always eat their meals first, leaving the dining area messy and showing no concern for the women who must eat the leftovers. While the new bride struggles to adapt, she attempts to maintain the peace. However, the domestic burden intensifies when her mother-in-law leaves temporary to care for her daughter, who is seven months pregnant. The entire responsibility for cooking, cleaning, and managing the household chores falls squarely on the bride. Her egotistical husband remains completely inconsiderate of her emotional and physical needs. When she vulnerably confides in him that intercourse is painful and asks for foreplay, he condescendingly remarks that she seems overly knowledgeable about sex and claims he must first feel attracted to her for foreplay, leaving her to cry herself to sleep.

Director

Jeo Baby

Release

15 Jan 2021

Run time

100 min

Language

Malayalam