For many netizens, the last few days have been witness to blazing arguments on the Bollywood film Mrs. starring Sanya Malhotra, directed by Aarti Yadhav – a remake of the popular Malayalam movie The Great Indian Kitchen. Since its recent OTT release, the film’s portrayal of the pressure placed on women by gender roles in a domestic setting has garnered praise for authentically portraying homemakers’ experiences while others have criticised it for toning down the vivid imagery of the original. Controversy has also been stirred up after a Bengaluru-based men’s rights organisation called Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), accused the film of spreading ‘toxic feminist propaganda’ and claimed ‘cooking is like meditation’.
Kavitha Lankesh, writer-director
I don’t understand ‘too feminist’, it’s like saying “Dalits are getting too empowered.” When the original movie was made, nobody made noise throughout South India. Suddenly it’s released in Hindi and they are fighting. They should watch more movies which are sensitive to womankind, unlike toxic films like Animal.
KM Chaitanya, film director
Remaking an acclaimed film is complex. It isn’t just adapting from Malayalam to Hindi but about finding parallels to the language, caste, religion and other nuances in the original. A project like this is fraught with comparisons which may be the reason for so much criticism. That aside, feminism is an important need in today’s society. There is nothing called ‘toxic feminism’. Patriarchy has been around for centuries and needs to be dismantled. Even if it means taking a little extra tilt towards the liberation of women, gender equality must be established.
Anjali R Pillai, film content creator
A simple scene shows Richa on a call with her friend and her husband who have an equal partnership – contrasting her reality. This makes it clear that the movie’s issue is not with men, but the systemic imposition of gender roles. SIFF’s remarks create unnecessary confusion around an important conversation about gender equality. It has ruffled the feathers of the exact kind of men who propagate such systematic impositions.
Mithilesh Edavalath, filmmaker
You need to have sensibility, sensitivity and a humane approach to understand these problems. It was never a perfect family in an Indian scenario. There was always a woman working in the kitchen who dreamt of something else. We are in this comfortable seat built on oppression and the moment someone shakes it, we have a problem. We don’t see what is below it – oppression. Let’s deal with this first; it’s been going on for a long time.
Godwin Emmanuel, film studies professor
A lot of men’s rights organisations think feminism is hating men. The movie Barbie (2023) also faced this during release. Many people have different versions of toxic femininity.The movie is not about hating men but about equality. It is just trying to show the patriarchal structure that is presented in an Indian family – exposing toxic masculinity. I find it silly to call this movie toxic feminism.
Neethu Shetty, actor
The intention is portraying the intangible things that a woman does which aren’t appreciated. Of course, both genders are working on the subtler lines between what goes on in a woman’s heart – is she feeling appreciated and included or relegated to one part of the family’s routine? Just doing one thing with nobody to support her or engage with intellectually can be really frustrating for today’s women who are far more educated and have independence in their blood.