Domestic Spaces, Subaltern Voices: Reading “The Great Indian Kitchen and Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey”

Abstract

Atrocities against women have been voiced over and again, yet only the echoes remain. Mumbled and often unheard are the words in the heart of many married women. The term Subaltern is referred to as the of the general attribution of subordination of the South Asian society whether this is in terms of classification of caste, age, gender and office or in any manner. The word “subaltern” stands as “a name for the general attribute of subordination in South Asian society whether this is expressed in terms of class, caste, age, gender and office or in any other way”. The present study attempts a subaltern reading of the movies The Great India Kitchen (2021) and Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey (2022).

The Great Indian Kitchen pictures the predicament of a normal woman wedded off to a traditional Malayalee household. The story then enfolds her suffering in a male chauvinist house. Women are merely seen as humans, enclosed in the four walls of the house and expected to be available always. Her desire to pursue a job is received with ridicule and contempt. Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey features the horror and aftermath of a woman trapped in an abusive marriage. Jaya has always been seen as subaltern by her family members. The saga continues even after marriage. Her husband slaps her over trivial issues. the study focuses on the status of these women. Both movies have been impeccable accurate portrayals of the condition of married woman in Indian households.