One of the most oft mentioned statements that most of us would have come across is "The way to a man's heart is his stomach". However, it does not emphasize on the point that the hard work that the women put into plating up such delicious dishes is pretty immense. None of us are oblivious of the long hours that our mothers & grandmothers have spent in the kitchen and though with time, things have started to change; the script has remained the same in many household even to this day but to varying degrees. This is what Jeo Baby have tried to portray in "The Great Indian Kitchen". So was it able to stand out among the women empowerment movies that has come out in recent times???
The film unfolds with a couple (Suraj Venjaramood & Nimisha Sajayan) having tied the knot entering a new phase of their life. The girl with the guidance of her mother in law, gets acquainted with the house hold chores. The responsibility of the household falls on her shoulders when her mother in law had to move to her daughter's place to take care of her during the maternity period. Despite the inexperience, she invests wholeheartedly in her responsibilities but the callousness of her husband to her concerns & rather rigid adherence to customs started taking a toll on her.
The last time around Jeo Baby came out with a directorial venture was in 2018 with "Kunju Daivam" which had endeared to both the critics and the public. In his latest celluloid creation, he has focused on the topic of patriarchy & that too in an organic manner, to the extent that many of us would feel that it could be any typical kitchen. This point is emphasized through the fact that the lead pairs are not addressed with their names, meaning it could be any one of us depending on which spectrum we look at it. Quite a few would feel that it is way too monotonous & nothing much happens in the kitchen (which in itself is a character). Interestingly, that is what Jeo wants to stress upon that many of the females lead a similar monotonous life that doesn't look beyond attending to the whims & fancies of their families. The major positive is the fact that it does not adopt a preachy pattern & ends in an impressive manner whereby it is upto the audience to decide as to on which side they stand on.
On the technical side, the sound department has done a fine job as it had nothing apart from the sounds that we usually hear from the kitchen. Among the female leads that has come into the industry in the past decade or so, Nimisha is undoubtedly one of the finest among them. She was spot on as the protagonist & giving her perfect company was Sooraj who continues to dazzle the audience whenever he is given a role of substance. The duo deserves an applause for their impressive performance just as in "Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum". The rest of the cast have also done their parts aptly be it Siddharth Siva, the in laws etc.
Verdict: At less than 1 h 45 mins, Jeo puts across his points emphatically & shows us that at times it essential that we do introspect as to whether we practice what we preach. There is no doubt that it has a lethargic pace with hardly anything happening & for those who is looking for an entertainer, you would surely be disappointed. But if you ask me, it's a movie that needs to be watched!!!
Rating: 3.5/5
Regards...Ben
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