Why is it that only women belong in the rasoda?

 

The viral song recreated from a still of the popular Indian TV program, "Saath Nibhana Saathiya" named “rasode me kaun tha ?” went viral on social media few months ago. This catchy number fashioned out a scene that has Kokilaben and her two daughters-in-law, Gopi Bahu and Rashi Bahu involved in an ardent discussion over an empty cooker(without chaanas) on a gas stove, that has led to an outburst in the house.

With the #rasodemekauntha going trendy on electronic media for days, people started giving their hilarious creative twist to the nationwide sensational video. This “main thi? Tum thi? Kaun tha?” amusing song drew my attention towards the obsolete storyline of every other Indian TV dramas, that more often than not shows the dominance of a strict mother-in-law over her daughter-in-law and depicts the kitchen to be the women's territory. Whether it was Rashi Bahu, Gopi Bahu, or KokilaBen who was in the kitchen that day, why is it that only women belong in the rasoda?

Out of many TV productions genres, saas-bahu epics have a notable place in the Indian drama industry. In the year 2000, when the Virani household( the famous soap opera, 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' ) received a warm welcome in the Indian homes, it created a circumvolution, with celebrated characters such as Tulsi, Parvati, and Kumkum bahu whom all saas wanted there to be like. Since then, these exaggerated plays have gained remarkable responses from the Indian viewers.

These serials have molded the interpretation of a “good female “ in our society . A good girl always behaves accurately to everyone in the family. She is forbearing, self-sacrificing, often naive, surrendering, and tender-hearted. She is sweet and simple, the one who never put on a lot of embellishment. Once she gets married off, she never ventured to go against the men in the house or the strict mother-in-law. Her business should be how to take good care of her folks. She needs to take care of the household, doing all the cookery and the laundry. With the grandma or the saasu maa considering that the girl who dresses short and is partyholic could never be classified to be a ‘good bahu’, these shows set the benchmark for what an 'ideal' lady should be like.

Patriarchy is apparent in Indian shows. They make us believe that a female should always strive to be a perfect daughter, a perfect wife, a perfect daughter-in-law, and a perfect mother so that the society doesn’t impute her parents for raising an unsanskari girl.

Sadly enough these melodramatic series have become synonymous with Indian TV shows. Of course, Indian television could do with better narratives and better personas. Why can't we show a household where both men and women go to the office and work together in the kitchen without it being the principal core. They need to show that no one is perfect and ideal behavior exists only in the visualized environment. Girls should put on a bold lipstick and flowery dresses then conquer the world by crushing the social issues and taboos under their 6-inch heels.

Image credits:

Wikipedia and Pixabay.