"Their entire existence is subject to criticism"
The Indian film Mrs has ignited a conversation on the role of women in marriage and the exploitation of their labour within patriarchal systems.
The film, starring Sanya Malhotra, follows the journey of a newlywed woman, whose life seems confined to the domestic sphere, fulfilling the needs of her husband and his family.
Her daily routine revolves around cooking food, cleaning the house and enduring bad sex at night, all while her husband’s demanding 12-hour workdays remain unquestioned.
Mrs critiques the pervasive imbalance in domestic labour, as Richa Sharma’s (Sanya) contributions are rarely acknowledged by her gynaecologist husband.
While Mrs has been praised for its honest portrayal of a woman’s plight, it has also provoked fierce debate, especially after its release on ZEE5 Global.
The Hindi-language remake of the 2021 Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen reached a broader audience, sparking discussions on the exploitation of women in households across northern India.
While the film received praise for addressing domestic abuse, the conversation was largely contained within Malayalam-speaking audiences when the original film was released.
However, Mrs has had a wider reach and it exposed a polarised reaction.
A section of the male audience quickly branded it as “too feminist”.
The Save Indian Family Foundation, a men’s advocacy group, accused the film of promoting “feminist propaganda” stating:
“Women’s issues are eating 80% of the cake when it comes to policies for protection of millions of vulnerable people.”
Director Arati Kadav responded to these criticisms, asserting that the film does not represent “toxic feminism”.
She said: “We didn’t depict men as evil, rather, we showed them as being blind to her struggles, unaware of her humanity.”
Kadav emphasised that women’s roles have been so normalized as “functions” that their humanity is overlooked, adding: “This isn’t toxic feminism.”
Despite the pushback, many women found resonance in the film, which highlights the emotional and physical toll of being a wife in a patriarchal marriage.
One social media user wrote: “The movie Mrs doesn’t even come close to explaining all that an average housewife in a joint family goes through.
“Their entire existence is subject to criticism and emotional abuse.”
Another pointed out: “Older generation women won’t even find anything wrong with the movie. It’s so normalised.”
A third claimed the “cringe film” was based on a “weak woman”.
The movie feels 20 years outdated,
Exaggerating basic chores as burdens and portraying men as rude.
Change takes effort, but showing women as helpless victims isn’t progressive.Cooking and maintaining a home aren’t patriarchal.
stop pushing the same old narrative.#Mrs https://t.co/SDFiblmIvC
— Sagar Lohatkar (@sagarlohatkar) February 19, 2025
Mrs has sparked a necessary conversation about the gendered expectations that continue to shape marriage and domestic life in India.
Author Rujuta Diwekar noted that the film’s raw portrayal of female resentment was striking for many.
She wrote:
“For the first time, they are discovering that most girls who stay silent, smile and serve are seething with anger inside.”
Journalist Nilanjana Bhowmick said it was not enough to just debate the film and move on:
“Educate yourself, look in your homes, examine your families, the things you take for granted, and do better.”
Jeo Baby, director of The Great Indian Kitchen, expressed that the discussions raised by the film were long overdue.
He said: “Even when The Great Indian Kitchen was released, my film faced a lot of criticism from people in Kerala who claimed that the film was anti-men.
“What is important is that such issues are discussed.”
As Mrs continues to provoke heated discussions, it serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of examining women’s unpaid and underappreciated labour in the home.
Whether one agrees with the film’s portrayal or not, it is clear that the conversation about women’s roles in marriage and society is far from over.
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