Mrs. Movie Review: Sanya Malhotra shines in this important film on the daily misogyny and patriarchy in Indian families

The Hindi remake of Jeo Baby’s ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’, Mrs. explores the deep-seated patriarchy and casual misogyny in Indian families realistically sans the melodrama.

One rarely comes across a woman centric Indian film that questions patriarchy in a nuanced, subliminal and non-preachy manner and Arati Kadav's ‘Mrs’, the Hindi remake of Jeo Baby’s ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ is just that. This film smartly gives the audience a peek into the life of every other married woman in India and her role in the family. The narration relies on strong connotations and undertones to depict how we treat women in our homes and expect them to keep serving us, overlooking their feelings and desires in the name of duty. 

Mrs. opens with the shot of Richa dancing her heart out with friends. We see that she’s in her element and that it’s something that gives her genuine happiness. The dance sequence is then laced with shots of food being prepared at Richa’s home as her family gears up to host the groom’s family. Richa is then married and moves to her husband, Diwakar's home where she struggles to adjust to the norms and traditions of his orthodox family that has gender roles clearly defined. The once free spirited and modern Richa now suffocates in the rigid system that is her home as she tries to be the ideal wife and daughter-in-law. 

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Watch the trailer here!

There are many situations and characters in the film that you will find extremely relatable. Mrs. also has a hard-hitting subplot about the dismissive and non-serious approach most men have towards topics of menstruation, women’s sexual needs and their agency on matters of their own lives. For example, in one scene, Diwakar mocks his wife after she opens up about her desires and need for pleasure. Not only that, his father too tries to shatter Richa’s confidence with his sarcastic comments. The two also become obstacles in her pursuit of a professional dance career. These scenes skilfully serve as a scathing and unsettling reminder of the misogynistic treatment many women endure behind closed doors. 

It is often said that women are the biggest enablers of patriarchy and it is mirrored in the narration of this film as well. As men continue to thrust unjust and oppressive norms over the women in the house, we don’t see them expressing their resentment or calling them out for their behaviour and habits. Here, we often see Richa’s mother-in-law religiously carrying out domestic chores and attending to her husband and son’s smallest demands no matter how busy and tired she herself is. All without a question—and she expects her daughter-in-law to do the same. Richa’s mother too is shown normalising all this when she tries to bring this up in front of her. 

Food and kitchen are used as a beautiful euphemism to denote the struggles and hard work of the female characters in this film. We always see them giving their all in the kitchen, preparing the most extensive spread for meals. These shots are then cut and met with shots of the men lounging on the couch or indulging in sports in their free time, depicting the casual discrimination. 

Arati Kadav’s no nonsense approach keeps the pulse and essence of The Great Indian Kitchen alive. It is thoughtfully curated but has a spirit and character of it’s own making it a wise adaptation. The writers - Kadav, Harman Baweja and Anu Singh Choudhary, borrow a lot from Jeo Baby's original screenplay but amalgamate them with some new elements to make it more relevant for the North Indian audience. Sanya Malhotra is convincing and sincere as Richa; via this character, her willingness to experiment with different characters and narratives is apparent, adding an impressive film to her diverse filmography. Nishant Dahiya, who portrays her husband Diwakar, Kanwaljit Singh and Aparna Ghoshal, who play Richa’s in-laws also provide a decent support to the film.

The backbone of the film, however, remains the brilliant cinematography and screenplay that convey the story with the required intensity. Overall, it’s safe to say that director Arati Kadav has done justice to this Hindi adaptation of a much celebrated Malayalam original. 

Mrs. is currently streaming on ZEE5.

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