Retelling stories is an art in itself. We see how folklore has a way of being retold multiple times across generations to drive home various pressing themes sugarcoated in a fantastical premise. But then, some concerns need to be told in a rooted premise to usher a change among the discerning audience. Some of these stories need to be told again and again, in as many languages as possible because of the core premise.
Jeo Baby’s The Great Indian Kitchen (TGIK) was one such Malayalam film that came right at the time the world was witnessing the 4th wave of feminism. The film spoke about the sad state of affairs in our homes. Considering the unfortunate universality of the theme, it is heartening that filmmaker Kannan decided to remake this film in Tamil, and cast Aishwarya Rajesh and Rahul Ravindran in the remake.
TGIK revolves around a newly married couple — a Bharathanatyam dancer, and a sociology teacher. The story unfolds with Aishwarya’s character going through the grim reality of being a “home administer” and spending most of the time cooking and cleaning the mess on the dining table, floor, and the clogged sink. At a point, her hands start to stink due to repeated cleaning of the clogged sink. The remake retains the crux and genuine intentions of the original.
The sounds of chopping vegetables, cooking, and washing reverberate monotony that eventually suffocates the audience. However, this Tamil adaptation relies heavily on background score to enhance laboured performances. In this scene-to-scene adaptation, several crucial instances try to convey the underlying politics of these scenarios. However, the staging of these scenes and performances lacks a sense of organic flow. The central characters try hard to do justice to their roles, but unfortunately, it doesn’t match or come close to the finesse of the original’s cast. The pregnant pauses that made the audiences squirm were a miss in the adaptation. In the end, the layered emotions portrayed by Nimisha were replaced with just anger by Aishwarya.
The decision to recreate a kitchen that is almost similar to the one seen in the original didn’t really work because it felt artificial. However, such foibles can be overlooked, to an extent, as the film definitely has good intentions. TGIK has found a Tamil voice through Kannan. Did it ring loud, and clear? Probably not. But as the credits roll, TGIK reiterates that a woman breaking out of patriarchy and making the people who thrive in the system get a liberal dose of the daily muck of an oppressive ‘natural order’ will always be satisfying.
The Great Indian Kitchen
Director: R Kannan
Cast: Aishwarya Rajesh, Rahul Ravindran, Poster Nandakumar, Kalairani, and Yogi Babu