Sanya Malhotra's Mrs Producer Harman Baweja REACTS To SIFF’s 'Toxic Feminism' Remark: 'Important To Not Look At It In Isolation'

Sanya Malhotra’s Mrs, a remake of the Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen, is earning widespread praise. The story follows a newlywed woman, Richa, as she navigates the suffocating patriarchy in traditional joint families and the challenges faced by women in arranged marriages. Recently, a men’s rights organisation, SIFF—Save Indian Family Foundation, criticised the film and questioned why men should do household chores.

Harman Baweja, the producer of Mrs, responded to SIFF’s tweets by stating that their criticism does not ‘infuriate’ him. Speaking to News18, the actor said, “Maybe, that section of men is looking at this film as a solution and saying that this is the exactly representation of all men, which isn’t necessarily the truth. If a film has a male and female character, it doesn’t mean all men and women are like that. Every house is unique. The fragrance, the etiquette and the way food are served in every household will be different.”

Harman further said that Mrs should not be viewed in isolation, as it tells the story of a particular woman. He pointed out that while many women might relate to aspects of the film, others—especially those from more evolved households—may not directly connect with it but can still understand the subject, having witnessed similar experiences with their mothers. “That’s the lens one needs to view the film with,” he added.

While SIFF said that men should not share ‘50% housework because 70-80% material, cloths, furniture and gadgets are craved by women and enjoyed by women’, he disagreed with it, stating that the essence of Mrs. is about mutual respect between partners.

Mrs is directed by Arati Kadav, the film also stars Kanwaljit Singh, Nishant Dahiya, Aparna Ghoshal, Nitya Moyal, Viraj Mundkar and Varun Badola, among others.