Star
Cast:
Suraj
Venjaramoodu,
Nimisha
Sajayan,
Sidhartha
Siva
Director:
Jeo
Baby
In
a
scene
in
The
Great
Indian
Kitchen,
the
character
played
by
Suraj
Venjaramoodu
demands
an
apology
from
his
wife
(played
by
Nimisha
Sajayan)
for
commenting
on
his
table
manners.
When
she
says
sorry,
there
is
a
smile
of
victory
on
his
face.
And
that
very
scene
will
make
us
think,
are
we
sensitive
enough,
or
just
pretending?
A
young
woman
(Nimisha
Sajayan)
is
introduced
to
a
well-settled
man
(Suraj
Venjaramoodu)
through
an
arranged
match,
and
they
get
married.
The
new
bride
takes
over
the
responsibilities
of
her
new
household
when
her
loving
yet
submissive
mother-in-law
leaves
for
her
daughter's
place.
How
she
copes
up
with
the
compassionless
environment
and
finds
her
peace
is
the
story
of
The
Great
Indian
Kitchen.
Script
&
Direction
It
seems
like
writer-director
Jeo
Baby
has
not
made
a
feature
film,
but
has
placed
his
camera
in
a
random
Indian
household.
The
Great
Indian
Kitchen
is
unarguably
one
of
the
most
realistic
films
Malayalam
film
industry
has
ever
produced.
Here,
the
characters
don't
have
names.
The
husband
is
"ettan",
while
the
new
wife
is
mostly
called
"molu".
The
story
of
a
lively,
happy
girl
who
gets
transformed
into
a
frustrated
woman
is
not
something
new
for
Malayalam
cinema
(several
popular
films
have
discussed
it,
and
successfully
concluded
the
girl's
attitude
is
problematic).
But
here,
things
are
different.
Here,
the
two
grown-up
men
of
the
household
need
to
be
taken
care
of
by
the
women.
The
new
bride
is
supposed
to
stay
away
from
all
basic
necessities
to
respect
her
father-in-law's
beliefs.
And
there
is
this
relative
who
boasts
about
"helping" women
in
the
kitchen
by
cooking
a
meal
and
makes
things
more
complicated.
Well,
most
of
us
are
not
new
to
any
of
these
situations,
right?
But
what
makes
it
all
different
in
The
Great
Indian
Kitchen
is
the
way
this
film
addresses
these
things.
When
the
new
bride
asks
her
husband
about
his
table
manners,
suggests
him
foreplay
before
having
sex,
or
shares
her
views
on
the
Sabarimala
verdict,
she
is
not
given
the
face
of
a
vamp.
Instead,
the
director
chooses
to
show
us
how
the
husband
is
deeply
unimpressed
with
the
fact
that
his
wife
knows
"too
much".
And
finally,
when
we
see
the
new
bride's
mother
refusing
to
acknowledge
her
issues,
it
is
evident
how
deeply
rooted
the
patriarchy
is
in
our
society.
And,
here
is
a
Malayalam
film
that
has
finally
addressed
the
atrocities
faced
by
menstruating
women
in
all
traditional
households
(which
is
still
considered
a
taboo).
The
same
person
who
cooks
and
feeds
the
family
everyday
suddenly
becomes
"impure"
and
"untouchable".
Kudos
to
writer-director
Jeo
Baby
for
taking
this
big
step.
But
yes,
there
are
things
that
don't
work
for
all
audiences
in
The
Great
Indian
Kitchen.
The
supremely
realistic
narrative
that
doesn't
offer
anything
entertaining,
might
not
appeal
to
all
viewers.
Also,
the
slow-paced
storytelling
might
test
one's
patience.
But
so
is
life
for
many
people
(even
in
our
own
houses),
right?
Performances
Nimisha
Sajayan,
who
plays
the
new
bride,
and
Suraj
Venjaramoodu,
who
plays
the
husband,
are
the
heart
and
soul
of
this
film.
Both
the
actors
outshine
each
other
with
their
exceptionally
natural
yet
heartfelt
performances.
It
is
such
a
delight
to
watch
such
seasoned
actors
in
well-written
roles.
The
rest
of
the
star
cast,
including
the
actress
who
played
the
mother-in-law,
T
Suresh
Babu
(Achan),
Rama
Devi
(aunt),
Kabani
(maid
Usha),
Sidhartha
Siva
(annoying
cousin),
are
perfect
in
their
respective
roles.
Technical
Aspects
Salu
K
Thomas,
the
director
of
photography
deserves
applause
for
the
amazing
visualization,
that
even
makes
us
forget
that
we
are
watching
a
film.
Sooraj
S
Kurup
and
Mathews
Pulickan
score
high
with
the
strong
yet
subtle
music
of
the
film.
Verdict
The
Great
Indian
Kitchen
is
a
sincere,
realistic
take
on
a
common
Indian
household.
This
Jeo
Baby
film
is
a
slap
on
the
face
of
the
deeply
rooted
patriarchy
in
our
society.
Don't
miss
it.