'WOMEN WANT TO REMAIN INVISIBLE'

Like many of us, Arati Kadav first saw Jeo Baby's critically acclaimed Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen during the lockdown in 2021.

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The movie that delves into the unpleasant realities of a patriarchal household resonated with Kadav and reminded her of her mother's story to a certain extent.

When the opportunity came, she helmed the Hindi makeover Mrs with Sanya Malhotra, even though the remake felt like a 'very challenging task'. Best known for the Vikrant Massey starrer Cargo, a sublime dark comedy currently streaming on Netflix, Kadav says crafting the feminist tale in Mrs was her own kind of activism. "Our moms make food day in and out and are never appreciated for it. It's sad," Kadav says.

What did The Great Indian Kitchen make you feel when you first saw it?

I was genuinely moved. That was the first time a film spotlighted the invisible labour that our mothers have been doing. I realised that we don't realise how the gender roles shape us, or how social conditioning shaped me also. I am guilty of this. I am also guilty of treating my mother as a function. You feel it's a small job, that they just make the food, but it's a lot of work and a lot of physical work. I have seen women wanting to remain invisible because they themselves want to disappear in those roles.

It must have felt daunting to remake such a hugely acclaimed film.

When you remake a cult classic, it's usually a tough act to follow. You're always slightly worried. But we made this film with a lot of sincerity and passion and love, both for the subject and our intended audience.

In an interview you once said you didn't want to Bollywoodise this film. What do you mean by that?

The film has shots of scrumptious cooking, but the food feels repulsive because it makes you feel the toil someone puts into it.