As far as my memory serves, the one immediate change in Mrs that you notice from the original remains the setup. Diwakar and his family seemingly belong to the upper-class society, and so the tiny little housing setup of the original is replaced by a relatively spacious setup. Despite that, their thoughts remain narrow, something that depicts the widespread roots of patriarchy in our society. So in a way, the relatively spacious house itself shares a dichotomy with Richa, one that is of shelter and the other of claustrophobia. The signs of patriarchy are prevalent early on in the film through the gaze of Richa – in a scene when she enters the kitchen for the first time, only to be told to rest out in her first day even as she is witness to her mother-in-law relentlessly working to clean the dishes. In another scene, Richa is witness to her husband passing a stray comment on whether she could cook as good as her mom, and if not then she must learn from her. These are fleeting moments but initial signs of an ecosystem that thrives in the presence of patriarchy.

Anyone who is familiar with the original source material would be aware of the beats of the screenplay here. Yet despite its familiarity, there is a relatability quotient that doubles up as a reminder to the viewers – we may all have been contributing factors, directly or indirectly, to the lady of the house who has been silently working with a smile on her face. So when the stakes are raised in the life of Richa with her mother-in-law having to step away to take care of her pregnant daughter, you automatically empathize with the protagonist even as she jostles between her tasks with little to no validation. She is willing to learn and push her boundaries – one by making a chutney by relentlessly squishing vegetables on stone (just the way her father-in-law ‘demands’), to serving hot phulkas (and NOT warm rotis) to her husband just before he goes to work. Her ambitions of willing to continue dancing are reduced to ashes even as her circle of life remains from her bedroom to the kitchen and back.

One of the interesting aspects of the drama remains the psyche of the characters that invariably is the contributing factor to their characterization and the character dynamics. For instance, Diwakar being a gynac himself would be expected to be a little more empathetic towards his wife – be it being a consenting adult in bed, or at the very least helping Richa out in kitchen as a part of his daily chore. Yet, he remains unhinged and almost authoritative in bed, never indulging in foreplay while remaining mechanical with the sole intention of having a child. He and his father also remain rather regressive with Richa’s periods, not allowing her to work in the kitchen while getting a househelp just during the ovulating days of Richa’s menstrual cycle (and leaving her for kitchen duties for the remaining days). The pinch of being offended when Richa randomly jokes about Diwakar her friend also remains an extreme angle, whereas he would remain scot-free in wrongfully bitching about his wife with his set of friends. The same remains true for Diwakar’s father too, who remains persistent and particular with his never-ending demands while also exclaiming on how his well educated ‘PhD’ wife also is submissive to the demands of the ‘kitchen’. The proceedings are reflective and powerful, just like the beats of the original.

There is an allegory of a broken kitchen pipe that also symbolizes the psyche of Richa, and her capacity to handle the pressure. This theme remains in the background and often frequents the narrative even as Richa coaxes her husband to replace it, only to fall on deaf ears. The idea of having random relatives and friends being key-contributing factors to the psyche of Richa, also accounts for a rather seething and searing watch, that ultimately results in an ambuish of sorts at the end. Yet just like the original, the commentary doesn’t end there even as the cycle of patriarchy continues its vicious journey, but with the exception of realisation that sets in resulting in freedom for the protagonist. The writing is powerful filled with symbolism that never gets into the preachy category while remaining reflective with its messaging that absolutely hits home.