Pro-women vs anti-men: What people’s contradictory responses to Mrs. say about women’s issues today

Sanya Malhotra starrer Mrs., directed by Aarti Kadav, reimagines Jeo Baby’s critically acclaimed  Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen for a Hindi-speaking audience. 

Since its release, Mrs. has ignited widespread discussion—drawing comparisons to its Malayalam predecessor and sparking debates on the treatment of homemakers in India. Like the original, the film delves into the traditions imposed on newlywed women, exposing the entrenched gender roles that govern household dynamics.

While many praise its bold critique of domestic inequality, there has also been a vocal dismissal of the film as “hyper-feminism” or “man-hating propaganda.” 

Mrs. engages with contemporary socio-political themes, shifting from the Sabarimala temple debate in the Malayalam version to focus on marital rape in the Hindi adaptation.

The conversations that have followed in the weeks since the film’s release show that there is a social media audience committed to scrutinising any discussion on women’s rights and concerns. According to a survey by UN Women and the National Statistics Office of Georgia, the time spent by women on unpaid domestic and care work is 17.8%, around five times the time spent by men (3.7%)—far more than the global average gender gap (of three times more). 

In many households, women are expected to be good wives, cooks, helpers, without objection. Family members often take their efforts for granted, and upholding family values and dignity depends on the women. 

In The Great Indian Kitchen, the husband—a teacher—is seen educating his class on what an ideal family should be like. In Mrs., despite being a gynaecologist, the husband seems indifferent to his wife’s hesitation or lack of consent. When she brings up foreplay, he scoffs that her knowledge of the term makes her “experienced”—an idea rooted in cultural and social taboo around premarital sex in India. The film goes on to highlight the issue of marital rape, making it a central theme that aligns with the ongoing legal debates in India, where it is not recognised as a crime.

Both films throw light on the burden of domestic work carried by the women in the family; the wife is suffocated tending to the kitchen and her father-in-law. 

Many who watched The Great Indian Kitchen shared that they found Mrs. to be a more mainstream take on the story. Both films show the wife spending hours cleaning the dirty kitchen, but the visuals were less unsightly in Mrs. Audiences on Reddit discussed whether this was done to make it more palatable for viewers. 

Marital rape is one of the many nuanced themes covered in The Great Indian Kitchen, but it is highlighted in Mrs. through dialogue. The reception of Mrs. shows how a remake that might simplify certain sensitive aspects is necessary to engage with audiences across the country.

Women on the comments sections of social media took to describing Mrs. as a real-life horror, with many sharing that their mothers have endured similar struggles in their lives. 

On the other hand, the rising discussion on the film being ‘anti-men’ is backed by men’s rights groups like The Save India Family Foundation, which called it a “feminist game”. It compared the burden of responsibility between homemakers and male breadwinners of the family. Reels, posts and comments have surfaced mocking the inability of the protagonist to cook and clean, arguing that men’s work does not always mean office jobs, but also physical labour which they do without complaining. 

Malayalam cinema has long since explored complex themes around family and societal expectation—through poignant dramas like Ullozhokam and black comedies like Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey. Other Bollywood films that show the struggles of married women have also become subjects of controversy—Thappad and Darlings being popular examples, where the wives’ responses to physical violence by their husbands was considered “extreme” by many audiences. 

The reception of Mrs. echoes this pattern. Some men’s rights activists have questioned whether homemakers are truly struggling as much as men who take up the traditional duty of earning a livelihood for the family. This once again underscores the importance of dismantling traditional gender roles that have significant psychological, economic, and social consequences for both men and women.

While this makes women economically dependent and leaves them with limited educational and career opportunities and normalisation of marital abuse, men face economic pressure and poor emotional health conforming to these roles.

The ‘anti-men’ argument against Mrs. also overlooks a crucial point: systemic patriarchy places the burden of unpaid labour and familial harmony disproportionately on women while denying them agency over their own lives.

Men’s issues do have their place in society and cinema. Men’s mental health, and the pressure to provide are prevalent concerns that need addressing. However, it is important to note why these issues are raised only when regressive traditions against women are questioned. Instead of giving each issue the discourse and space it deserves, the often reactionary 'what about men?' rhetoric, which, while valid in some contexts, may end up derailing and diluting  the original issue being discussed. 

Most troublingly, it may sometimes align with misogynistic movements, which see feminism as a threat rather than a movement for equality.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)

Edited by Saranya Chakrapani