Abstract
The Hindi film ‘Mrs.’ strategically utilizes the kitchen as a central space to explore the nuanced subordination of women within urban, educated middle-class Indian families. Employing Sherrie A. Inness’s ‘kitchen culture’ as a theoretical framework, the film presents food not merely as sustenance but as a complex gendered discourse. Through close aerial shots of meticulously prepared meals, ‘Mrs.’ constructs a visual language that communicates a range of emotions—from trepidation and excitement to despair and resignation—effectively replacing the protagonist Richa’s silenced voice. The film deconstructs the romanticized notions of ‘maa ke haath ka khana’ (food made by mother) and ‘ghar ka khana,’ (home food) exposing the invisible and undervalued labour that underlies these idealized representations. While the sumptuous food initially draws the viewer in, its repetitive preparation, depicted through close-ups of peeling, grinding, and stirring, serves to symbolize the protagonist’s diminishing dreams and the monotony of her existence. This deliberate pacing and focus on culinary labour evoke a sense of meaninglessness and desperation, mirroring the lived experiences of many women confined to the kitchen. In this space, which is culturally coded as feminine, the women’s identities are submerged, and their dreams are stifled under the compulsion to provide nourishment to others. Yet, it is also in the kitchen that Richa enacts her rebellion and embarks on an unconventional life path. This paper investigates how food, as a gendered discourse, in ‘Mrs.’ perpetuates and challenges societal expectations about women’s domestic roles and highlights the casual devaluation of their culinary labour.
Presenters
Manisha MohantyResearch Scholar in English, School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Management, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Food in Film, Kitchen Culture, Gendered cooking patterns, Domestic foodwork
