For those caught napping under the sheet of domestic patriarchy and misogyny, Juice is the cold splash of water right on their face. It will wake you up and stare down right into your soul, arousing questions that will trigger you to change your outlook towards the role of a woman in a household.
In India, there exists a ubiquitous notion even today, the notion of the household chores being handled solely by the woman of the house. The man, on the other hand, when at home is expected to just sit back relax and unwind. One of the reasons that such a notions still exists is because there are many women out there who accept it, thinking it is the right way to lead their life. Such a widespread acceptance of an erroneous notion brings into light the lack of awareness amongst Indian women. This short film will make the women of India realise that they are being subjected to adhere to this notion, and by doing so they are in fact adhering to domestic patriarchy and misogyny.
Taking legitimate jabs at domestic male dominance, the short film shows how at a social gathering in an average Indian house, the males eat and drink in the living area without losing repose, while their female counterparts socialise in the not-so-comfortable kitchen and try their best not to crib about it. As a matter of fact, it seems as though the women are trying hard to slide their discomfort under the carpet and stay hush about it. All this until the protagonist (Shefali Shah), loses her cool and decides to take the matter of her comfort into her own hands.
This 14-minute moving reel displays director Neeraj Ghaywan’s explicit style of storytelling. Simple yet impactful, it shows women doing all sorts of odd jobs you might have seen them do in real life. But on the big screen, when you see a woman pick up leftover chicken bones and burn her finger cooking a sumptuous meal for you, you will realise how wicked the misogynistic notion is, regardless of the gender you belong to. It teaches you that the next time you see such things take place, stand up and speak up. And if you can’t, simply stare!
Watch the short film here and tell us in the comments section below – what are your thoughts about this short film?
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