Sabarimala row: SC judge mentions Malayalam movie to highlight women's plight

'The Great Indian Kitchen', a recently released Malayalam movie that portrays the hardships of a newly married woman in the household, has been highlighted by Supreme Court judge Justice D Y Chandrachud referring to the Sabarimala women entry issue.

Chandrachud was a member of the Constitution Bench that lifted the ban on entry of women in the 10 to 50 age group, considered as menstruating age, to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala in 2018.

Speaking at a virtual event organised by LiveLaw on Wednesday, Chandrachud said that he saw the film 'The Great Indian Kitchen' and the woman in the film was not asserting the right to go on pilgrimage but was fighting a much deeper battle as her existence was diminished by her gender. This is a stark reminder of how mere legislative or judicial intervention does not automatically upend the inequalities entrenched in society, he added.

He also pointed out that the film juxtaposed the Sabrimala women entry judgment with the lived reality of the woman who was denied of her ambition to take up a job of her choice and facing the harsh isolation and untouchability when menstruating.

The film was written and directed by Jeo Baby was already a talking point as it highlighted the plight of an average housewife in Kerala. Nimisha Sajayan played the role of the housewife in the film that was selected for the Shanghai International Film Festival.