The Great Indian Kitchen review: Aishwarya Rajesh saves the Tamil remake of the brilliant family drama

3/5

Story: A young woman gets hitched to a courteous man who hails from a patriarchal family. She slowly realizes that her life has turned topsy-turvy because of the constant unreasonable demands from her husband and father-in-law. Unable to cope up with their regressive mindset, she takes a decision which leaves many stunned.  

Review: The impact created by Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen needs no introduction. Jeo Baby's movie struck the right chord in holding a mirror to our society's patriarchal mindset and touched upon various pertinent topics pertaining to liberation of women in our households.

The Tamil remake of the film directed by Kannan evoked curiousity when it was announced by makers. The decision to cast Aishwarya Rajesh to play the lead role in it, which was essayed by Nimisha Sajayan in the original version, was lauded by many. However, cinephiles were curious to know how the director would tweak the story to suit the sensibilities of the Tamil audience.

Kannan hasn't made any notable changes to the Kollywood version. The character designs and sequence of events are exact replica of the Mollywood version. The significant change lies in the variety of dishes the protagonist prepares in the kitchen from morning to night to please her conservative husband and father-in-law. 

The filmmaker has also ensured that the structure of the house where the story unfolds is relatable to Tamil viewers. The major highlight of the movie is unsurprisingly the flawless performance from Aishwarya. The character of a young woman who is torn between following her dreams and adhering to orthodox family values is safe in the actress' hands.

Her agony, confusion, helplessness and feeling of self-respect are easily relatable to viewers. Rahul Ravindran as the traditionalist husband and Nandakumar in the role of the dominating father-in-law are convincing. Balasubramaniem's cinematography aids in providing the required mood to the story, while Leo John Paul's background score is effective.

Yogi Babu makes a cameo appearance and pulls off what is expected from him. The makers succeed in conveying what they set out to do through the film.

Having said that, there is no creative addition to the new version in terms of character development or offering surprises in the screenplay. Some of the sequences appear superficial despite the right set up and involvement of actors. The audience in Kerala could easily relate to the Sabarimala connection in the story, thanks to the historical court verdict which was in favour of women's rights.

The Sabarimala issue was widely discussed in Tamil Nadu as well, and it is one of the temples where devotees from the state flock in huge numbers. But the Tamil version should have included elements which viewers in the state could have exclusively related to. Nevertheless, it clearly delivers the message against regressive practices in the guise of tradition which leave unlimited burden on women.  

Verdict: The movie might not appeal to those who watched the original Malayalam version as the Tamil film appears quite rushed, but that doesn't take away the merits this attempt deserves.

The Great Indian Kitchen is streaming on Zee5.