Good scope for Rahul Ravindran

Directors diverting their focus towards acting has been a common trend lately, but Rahul Ravindran has been a rare example who did the vice versa (shifting his priorities from acting to direction) at the right time of his career. After directing Manmadhudu 2, the actor-director has taken a couple of years to return to action, playing the lead role in the bilingual remake of the Malayalam OTT hit The Great Indian Kitchen alongside Aishwarya Rajesh.

Rahul reprises the part originally played by Suraj Venjaramoodu. The role has many shades of grey. The character is of a chauvinistic husband who believes a wife needs to confine herself to the kitchen and attend to the priorities of her family first. He doesn’t believe that she has a say in her profession, career nor even understands consent in the bedroom. For an actor who has been stereotyped to soft roles mostly, this role could bring about a welcoming makeover.

The Great Indian Kitchen was a surprise success upon release on OTT in Malayalam that won viewers’ attention purely through word-of-mouth. The film, focusing on the plight of a wife married into a patriarchal family, is thematically relevant and has powerful visual imagery. While there’s no doubt why Aishwarya Rajesh took up the role without any second thought, Rahul Ravindran is certain to benefit from this offer.