The Great Indian Kitchen

The Great Indian Kitchen (2021), directed by Jeo Baby, is a quietly powerful Malayalam film that turns the mundane into the revolutionary. On the surface, it appears to be a simple story about a newly married woman adjusting to her new life in a traditional household. But beneath that simplicity lies a deeply political commentary on patriarchy, gender roles, and the invisibility of women's labor in Indian

households.

1. Minimalism That Speaks Volumes

The film uses a minimalistic style—long takes, little dialogue, and repetitive sequences—to make the viewer feel the monotony and emotional erosion the protagonist experiences. The kitchen becomes both a literal and symbolic prison, where her aspirations, identity, and individuality are steadily crushed under the weight of tradition.

2. The Power of Repetition

Repetition is a cinematic tool used masterfully here. Washing dishes, cleaning floors, and cooking elaborate meals multiple times a day—tasks that are dismissed as “just housework”—become increasingly unbearable to watch. This monotony is the film's way of emphasizing how unpaid domestic labor becomes a burden when it's invisibly expected from women, generation after generation.

3. Subtle but Sharp Critique of Patriarchy

Instead of presenting overt abuse, the film exposes the subtler, insidious ways patriarchy manifests—like expecting women to sacrifice their dreams, stay silent, and prioritize male comfort over their well-being. The husband, though not abusive, is complicit in perpetuating this system through passive entitlement and moral superiority.

4. Tradition vs. Autonomy

The tension between preserving tradition and asserting autonomy is at the heart of the film. Rituals, religious customs, and family expectations become tools of control. The protagonist’s growing discomfort turns into quiet resistance, making her eventual decision to walk away from the marriage an act of quiet revolution.

5. Cultural Specificity with Universal Relevance

While rooted in Kerala's socio-cultural setting, The Great Indian Kitchen resonates across the Indian subcontinent—and even globally. The gendered expectations, the invisibilization of women’s labor, and the glorification of “the ideal wife” are not unique to one region.

6. Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call

The Great Indian Kitchen doesn't offer easy solutions, but it does force a reckoning. It demands viewers—especially men—to examine how everyday behaviors and expectations contribute to systemic inequality. For women, it validates the frustration, exhaustion, and resistance they've long carried.

In a world where social change often begins in the personal sphere, this film is a bold reminder: the kitchen can be a site of both oppression—and liberation.