A Tale of Two Feminist Narratives

Cinema has long been a powerful medium to challenge societal norms, and both The Great Indian Kitchen (2021, Malayalam) and Mrs (2024, Hindi) attempt to shed light on gender roles and the oppression women face within traditional marriage structures. However, while both films tackle similar themes, The Great Indian Kitchen stands out as a more powerful, immersive, and hard-hitting experience compared to Mrs, which, despite good intentions, falls short in its execution.

 

The Great Indian Kitchen, directed by Jeo Baby, is a masterclass in subtle yet gut-wrenching storytelling. The film follows a newlywed woman (Nimisha Sajayan) who gradually realizes the suffocating nature of her marriage. The monotony of housework, the indifference of her husband and in-laws, and the dehumanization of her identity are depicted with such realism that it becomes an almost visceral experience for the audience. There are no over-the-top dialogues—just the repetition of everyday chores, making it painfully relatable.

On the other hand, Mrs, starring Sanya Malhotra, attempts to present a modern, urban take on a woman’s fight for identity within a patriarchal setting. While the premise is promising, the film leans heavily on dramatic dialogues and predictable conflicts rather than relying on the subtleties that made The Great Indian Kitchen so haunting. Mrs presents its protagonist’s journey with a more polished, commercial approach, which, while engaging, doesn’t quite deliver the same emotional punch.

Nimisha Sajayan’s performance in The Great Indian Kitchen is nothing short of extraordinary. She doesn’t rely on loud confrontations; instead, her exhaustion, frustration, and quiet rebellion seep through her expressions and body language. It’s an organic transformation from subjugation to resistance, making her final act of defiance all the more satisfying.

Sanya Malhotra in Mrs is undoubtedly strong in her role, but the writing doesn’t allow for the same depth of transformation. Her character’s journey feels somewhat rushed and formulaic, making it harder for the audience to truly immerse themselves in her struggle.

Jeo Baby’s direction in The Great Indian Kitchen is meticulous. The cinematography focuses on the daily grind—chopping, cooking, cleaning, serving, and then repeating the cycle endlessly. The close-up shots of oily kitchen sinks, the clatter of utensils, and the mechanical nature of household chores make the audience feel the protagonist’s suffocation. The film’s silence is deafening, forcing viewers to absorb the sheer exhaustion of domestic oppression.

Mrs, directed by Arati Kadav, has a more conventional Bollywood-style execution. The film is well-shot, and the production design is slick, but it lacks the raw intensity that makes The Great Indian Kitchen unforgettable. Instead of letting the audience experience the protagonist’s reality, Mrs tends to explain it, making it less impactful.

Both films raise important questions about gender roles, the expectation of women to conform, and the battle for autonomy. However, The Great Indian Kitchen does it with a quiet rage that stays with you long after the credits roll. It doesn’t rely on grand speeches; instead, it forces the audience to sit in discomfort and truly understand the oppression that millions of women face daily.

Mrs tries to deliver a similar message, but it does so in a more direct, mainstream-friendly way, making it a less powerful critique of patriarchy. While it succeeds in addressing the issue, it doesn’t push the boundaries as effectively as The Great Indian Kitchen.

While Mrs is a well-intentioned film that highlights an important issue, it ultimately pales in comparison to the brutal honesty of The Great Indian Kitchen. The latter is a cinematic experience that forces you to confront uncomfortable truths without the need for excessive drama. If you’re looking for a film that truly challenges the status quo and lingers in your mind long after watching, The Great Indian Kitchen is the clear winner.

Also, keep an eye on Jeo Baby—he has crafted some extraordinary films that will leave a lasting impact on audiences.

~ Dawn

International Women's Day Celebration

It's International Women's Month. Being a woman, I was reflecting on my journey. I was raised by my parents who never differentiated between a boy and a girl. I was given equal opportunity and I was also taught to take independent decisions for myself.

I could do everything that my brother would do, whether it was wearing pants, shorts, playing sports, going for a movie, playing caroms or chess, climbing trees, riding bicycle or motorcycle, going to school, college and post graduation all of this except that I was not allowed to go out alone after 6 pm or after the street lights are on. This is for my safety and it is same even now. But the boys can stay late no issues and I find that's an issue in itself but I will save it for another blog-post!

Those days I was very focussed on what I want to achieve and worked towards that. Eventually, I got awareness about my surroundings, my field, certain positions and true that women are not everywhere the way men are. Why?

I have often felt that when my Dad didn't differentiate between me and my brother then why the world does it? A very fundamental question but it happens and my simple ask is when we see that shouldn't we do something about it?

I come from a family where my both parents were working and when they come home they both help each other in the kitchen. I always feel I am the other wheel of the chariot in my family, that's how balanced we all want to be.

Given the strides that women have achieved in recent years in terms of empowerment, it is worth celebrating women around the world specially this month and March 8th as International Women's Day.

There is a constant need to remind ourselves and the world about the objective of this day. At work it was great to listen to some of the women leaders how they navigated their career growth and then based on a study as of February 2023, 38% of leadership roles in the US were occupied by women. Even though that percentage is higher that the share of women in leadership roles globally i.e., 32% there has been lethargic progress towards closing this gender gap. The proportion of women in leadership positions in the US has only increased by 2% points since 2016.

There's a lot more need to happen, just by giving a seat to fill the gender gap isn't the solution but men and women equally have to help and mentor each other to be on leadership roles. It's a collective call towards gender equality.

She is delicate and dreamy like a vine, 

Yet standing on her own without whine,

She is strong needs opportunity to shine,

You can challenge her and evaluate fine,

Treat her just like you want to be divine,

It's been ages friends now is the time,

We must change for good let's align,

To bring equality let us define,

Because this dawn believes in sunshine!

~ Dawn

Let your child play with dolls: boy, girl, gender neutral or all

 

Today is International Girl Child Day and to talk about the challenges and discrimination that girls go through daily in entire life span around the world - it will be tough one.

International day of the Girl Child acknowledges the importance, power, and potential of adolescent girls by encouraging the opening up of more opportunities for them. At the same time, this day is designated to eliminate gender-based challenges that little girls face around the world, including child marriages, poor learning opportunities, violence, and discrimination.

There are privileged one's where the girl survives and gets raised with love and affection. She gets education and still there will be something that she would not be able to do, or say because she is a girl. So we cannot say that girls are treated equally in a patriarchal society where boys have more right for everything.

I remember when the calling out for the rights of women and girls was first achieved by the Beijing Declaration in 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing - I was giving an interview in the Maharashtra Labor Welfare office in India. A question was asked to me - if I get married, will I change my last name to my husband's last name or will I keep my last name that is given by my family. It was a tough one those days, because I was sitting in front of two men who were already talking about what's happening in Beijing and were saying it's crazy!

"When girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous." ~ Michelle Obama

I didn't respond the way I wanted to then because I wanted to be selected for the Labor Welfare Officer's position as I stood first in Maharashtra for my Masters and hence I said, it is individual's choice. If I feel like adding my husband's last name then I will add and if I don't want then I will keep everything same because either way I will be a wife to the man I am married to.

Both men laughed and one guy who looked more senior in age, said she meant she will keep her husband's last name and she is not getting carried away with this Beijing thing. I was shocked but I only smiled at this and further moved on with rest of the questions. I came out of that office and later got the letter about my selection. It's a different thing that I migrated to Canada exploring that side of the adventure but wanted to share a glimpse of it here. Though the Beijing world conference on Women was the first- ever blueprint to have identified the need for addressing issues faced by adolescent girls all around the world.

"Achieving gender equality is about disrupting the status quo - not negotiating it." ~ Phumzile Mlambo

I remember my parents telling me when my Mom was expecting me, she wanted a girl child and those days there were no gender identifying machines and hence she prayed to have a baby girl. She went to her Mom's house for delivery as my grand father was not keeping well. And that time my Dad sent her a letter saying if you have a baby girl name her Dawn and if baby boy then you can decide what you want to name. This incident clearly reminds me how they were looking forward for me to come into their life. But in India and around the world, there are incidents where as soon they come to know it's going to be a baby girl either they kill the baby in the womb or just after the birth of the baby.

"Girls and boys have similar brains with equal math ability".

Now imagine, if that killing is unsuccessful what this girl who will be born will go through her entire life, until she becomes strong to say No, yet keep fighting for her basic survival. It's a tough world and who makes it?

I was raised by my parents with equal rights but my Mom was always worried about my outspoken nature, because she knew how the world is and hence, I have often seen her giving justification for my nature to others - because she want her daughter to be accepted in this world. And I always listened to my Dad who tells me, do what you like as long as it's not hurting others. Live your life as don't listen to society because they never come for your help when you need one.

I wish to see this world as shown below: where a girl and boy are equal and counted as two people and not one girl and one boy. Equality matters to everyone, not just to boys!

Every day is a happy day with a girl child around. Wishing you a very happy international  day for a girl child.

~ Dawn

Note: Now you can listen to the audio version of my blogs in Hindi on the UshaDawn Hindi Podcast on Google, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Check it out and new episodes uploaded every day 3 AM Pacific Standard Time

Society or culture or whatever you might want to call it, has created us all solely and wholly for the purpose of maintaining its continuity and status quo...!

 

Recently I had the opportunity to watch this movie on Netflix -What will people say! This is a 2017 internationally co-produced, directed and written by Iram Haq. This film's scene set in Pakistan were, all shot in Rajasthan, India.

To my surprise this film had its world premier at 42nd Toronto International Film Festival. This was selected as the Norwegian entry for the best foreign language film at the 91st Academy Awards - but it was not nominated.

My main reason to watch this film was Adil Hussain - an amazing actor and human being. 

As the story started unfolding, it started reminding me of some of the stories that I have seen in Canada. It's not only for India or Pakistan but you can see similar stories from families migrating from Iran, or any other country where the culture is different and women are not given much freedom in the name of family dignity, society pressure and what not. 

"Expectations were like a pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack" ~ Brandon Sanderson

This movie is a must watch for everyone of all gender and race. This talks about equality and equal opportunity for everyone. 

The movie brings an amazing emotions of relationship between the family and siblings. The father, who loves his daughter and understands what is best for her yet, gets drowned in the societal and community cadence where he fears for his family's respect, his business overall trying to look good in front of his people and yet want the best for his daughter.

At the end the daughter makes the choice for herself and Father kind of supports that by not coming in her way!

A very important movie and message for the time where we still differentiate between the genders and defines the boundaries for a girl child and it's not limited to the child but until she dies she is supposed to be living by the rules and live in a box that someone else created for her or her gender.

"A gender-equal society would be one where the word 'gender' does not exists: where everyone can be themselves" ~ Gloria Steinem 

If you're a free thinker and watch this movie it will suffocate you when you see how the girl is taken back to Pakistan and left her there to live with her relatives. It's something that one cannot foresee ourselves to be in that situation imagine the ones who go through how tough it could be?

This movie at least should help open everyone's mind and heart.

"Culture is not made up but something that evolves which is human" ~ Edward T. Hall

~ Dawn