Mrs. (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – The life of a married girl who finds her identity amidst navigating her life in kitchen.

My Take – We really don’t talk about how being a homemaker/housewife is the most underappreciated and difficult job in the world. A job that has no pay (forget benefits), no holidays and can be spectacularly soul crushing. Particularly in a patriarchal Indian middle class family, where the domestic demands of the male members are basically endless and the duty-bound females are often awarded with nothing but criticism.

Such is a case presented in this latest ZEE5 release, a remake of the much-acclaimed Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen (2021) that chronicles the travails of a newlywed as she tries to cope up with a decade’s old system set inside a supposedly educated family. Acting as a hard-hitting reflection of society’s deeply ingrained biases against married women, who are supposedly just made for doing all the household works perfectly and reproduce.

Here, director Arati Kadav has done a fairly commendable job in bringing a realistic and relatable narrative in an interesting manner by shedding light on how generations of women, like our mothers and grandmothers, have been confined to the kitchen, their identities reduced to caretakers as their own aspirations fade into the background.

It’s a story that doesn’t just depict reality but forces you to confront it. Resulting in a raw, emotional, and thought-provoking narrative that dares to question societal norms and demands long-overdue change.

Sure, it does not offer any surprises to those familiar with the original, and might seem exaggerated in some moments, but it is important to remember that these are experiences many women have faced and are still facing. Making the premise universal and is bound to leave many women feeling triggered, enraged, or heartbroken.

The story follows Richa (Sanya Malhotra), a trained dancer and dance teacher, who through arranged marriage first connects and then marries Diwakar (Nishant Dahiya), a well-to-do gynecologist. However, post-marriage, Richa finds herself grappling with the crushing weight of traditional expectations from managing household chores, cooking elaborate meals, to fitting into the mold of the ideal wife.

Her in-laws, largely represented by the opinions of the father-in-law (Kanwaljit Singh), believe that Diwakar’s success, as well as his sister’s settled life, was only possible because of the sacrifices Richa’s mother-in-law (Aparna Ghoshal) made, including giving up a career of her own. Soon enough, despite her talents and aspirations, her identity slowly begins to get consumed by the repetitive drudgery of domestic life.

The narrative hits hard. Not just because you feel the weight of Richa’s chain, but because you can easily relate to how obnoxiously such kind of patriarchal entitlement runs in and around us. Without overtly displaying regressive behavior, it makes it clear that these structures are still very much present, loud, and undeniable.

The film starkly portrays how, after marriage, a middle-class woman is expected to confine herself to the kitchen, serving others while her own dreams fade into the background. It exposes the harsh reality where a wife is often reduced to a maid, her worth measured by the quality of the household chores rather than her individuality.

One particularly striking scene is when Richa, after toiling in the kitchen to prepare a perfect meal, faces her husband’s dismissive remark of stinking of the kitchen. Something that reveals how the very labor expected from women is also what diminishes them in the eyes of men. The irony is palpable-what’s considered a woman’s duty is also what’s used to belittle her. Yes, while not all households operate under the same rigid structure, the majority still do.

Sadly, Richa’s struggles extend beyond her in-laws. Even when she turns to her own mother for support, she is met with indifference, who requests her to adjust. And when she finally musters the courage to stand up for herself, her mother urges her to apologize instead, reducing her suffering to just a small issue, completely oblivious to how deeply those limited days in her in-laws’ home have scarred her.

The contrast between Richa’s life and her friend Bubbles’ happy, supportive marriage highlights the stark divide between progressive relationships and those still shackled by outdated traditions. While some might argue that rigid gender roles are less prevalent today that assumption doesn’t entirely hold, especially in current India.

Even in urban settings, these norms may be less overt but they remain deeply ingrained and influential. However, I was not sold on the rushed ending, which could have been more impactful. Which, in my opinion, as far as messaging goes, provides an easy solution. A solution, the currently less patient generation can easily gobble up. Personally, I also found the kitchen work scenes to be too extensive and overdone, especially when they don’t add much value to the already strong narrative.

Performance wise, it helps that Sanya Malhotra is stunning throughout. Effortlessly capturing the silent struggles and simmering frustrations of a woman trapped in the confines of patriarchy. Nishant Dahiya is infuriatingly believable as the outwardly respectable doctor who masks his rigid, regressive mindset quite well. Kanwaljit Singh too is excellent as insufferable father-in-law, the unquestioned head of the household. On the whole, ‘Mrs.‘ is a universally relevant film anchored by its powerful performances and poignant storytelling.