Filmmaker Arati Kadav says that she is “extremely grateful and happily surprised by the response” her film Mrs. has been receiving online. When asked about the film’s fantastic festival run, which included Sanya Malhotra winning the Best Actress award at the 2024 New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), and the positive reactions after the film’s OTT premiere, Arati tells us, “Honestly, I didn’t expect to be selected for festivals because our film wasn’t the ‘typical’ festival kind of a movie. But the response was overwhelming. People would come up and hug me, talk to me for hours — it was incredible,” adding, “With so many positive reactions pouring in and discussions happening around the film online, I couldn’t be happier. I wasn’t expecting it.”
However, the film’s success hasn’t been without controversy. Ask about criticism from the Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), a men’s rights organisation, which accused the film of spreading “toxic feminist propaganda”, Arati clarifies, “I don’t believe this is toxic feminism. We didn’t depict men as evil; rather, we showed them as being blind to her struggles, unaware of her humanity. This is a reality I’m not exaggerating. Even my own mother faced this. It’s only now that I realise, until five years ago, I would come home and say, ‘Mama, can’t you do this?’ I never stopped to ask her what she wanted or what her dreams were. What she wanted was always secondary to what I needed. We’ve become so accustomed to treating women as ‘functions’ rather than full, independent humans that it has been normalised. This isn’t toxic feminism.”
She continues to emphasise that the real issue lies in the “normalisation of the idea that women are only there to take care of the house and should never prioritise their own needs. Breaking that stereotype is crucial. I believe anyone who calls this toxic feminism should have a conversation with their mother to understand the struggles she’s faced in life.”
When informed about SIFF’s post on X, where the organisation argued in a series of posts that “women inherently believe workplace means a comfortable air-conditioned place. They do not consider work at construction sites or at train stations etc. potential workplaces”, Arati responds thoughtfully: “The difference is that they are paid for their labour. Just because there are other forms of exploitation in society doesn’t mean we should overlook what’s happening here. If men feel exploited in those jobs, that’s certainly not right, but it doesn’t diminish the issues women face. It’s similar to saying ‘white lives matter’ when ‘black lives matter’ — both are valid, but they shouldn’t be used to dismiss each other.”
She goes on to explain her broader view on patriarchy, saying, “I believe patriarchy operates on a gradient; it’s all interconnected — how men treat other men, how they treat women, and even how they treat animals. Men are victims of patriarchy too. I often remind my male actors that they too are affected by it. Men often feel burdened because their masculinity is closely tied to their ability to provide financially. If a man stays at home, society questions him. That mindset needs to change. If a woman works and a man stays home, that should be seen as a perfectly normal life choice. We need to break these stereotypes.”
Talk about the film and why she thought she had to make this adaptation of the 2021 Malayalam drama The Great Indian Kitchen which is widely available on OTT, and Arati says, “I felt that this story didn’t require extensive research because it was happening right in front of me. It was happening in my own home — my mother’s experience, the experiences of many aunts, and even my cousins. It felt deeply personal, important, and urgent. During the early stages of making this film, I met many women, some even 10 years younger than me, who were going through similar struggles. I knew I had to tell this story with honesty and sincerity.”
But given the rise of technology and the conversations happening on social media, where discussions around feminism and patriarchy are more prominent than ever, how does she feel this film contributes to the ongoing dialogue about these issues, the 41-year-old says, “That was my biggest challenge — remaking a film that’s widely available and much loved. It’s a challenge we took on, but I felt it needed to penetrate the audience in the north, who might not connect to the original. Our idea was to make it slightly more accessible, not a frame-by-frame remake, but an adaptation. We wanted to retain the essence of the original while making it relatable to a wider audience.”
She continues, “The response to this film has sparked a major conversation about invisible labour, which I hoped for, but I didn’t expect it to reach such a large scale. I’ve never seen invisible work discussed so widely before. There was a moment when I wondered if people would connect with the film, as these conversations have been ongoing, but seeing it presented in a cinematic medium — one that’s so powerful — makes it even more significant. It’s one thing to discuss it, but having a film that brings it to life is something else. I believed this film would provoke reactions and spark conversations, and we’re already seeing that unfold on social media.”
Did she at any point feel apprehensive or the pressure to deliver since the original had been received well both critically and by the audiences? Arati admits “there was a lot of pressure”. “But the only way I could manage it was by talking to other women who were experiencing similar things. I made the story my own and tried to make it sincerely. I didn’t think too much about the pressure; I just made it honestly and left the rest to God,” says Arati.
Ask her about the rise in number of remakes and adaptations post-Covid and how she views the trend and the lack of original content being made, she remarks, “I think there’s definitely a correction happening.”
“With the explosion of content, people are unsure of what works in theatres or even on OTT. It’s hard to predict, and OTT platforms are going through their own correction phase. In times like this, it’s important to make films sincerely and without overthinking,” Arati signs off.