From the opening scene of Biryaani, it’s clear exactly what kind of woman Khadeeja is. Mounted by her husband and used solely for his own benefit, Khadeeja (Kani Kusruti) has no problem making it clear that she’s not satisfied even if her own husband finds himself repulsed by her actions.
Following its namesake, Biriyaani displays the place of women within patriarchal societies, where they’re essentially seen as nothing more than tasty bits of meat. A reminder of the position of women within patriarchal, Muslim societies, India’s 2021 Oscar nominee calls out this normalized societal norm through the protagonist’s defiant spirit.
With a dead father, a mentally ill mother, a lost brother who’s been accused of joining ISIS, and exiled from her village because of it, Khadeeja has been dealt all the bad cards one can be given. Left with nothing but the clothes on her back, Khadeeja leaves all she’s known behind to begin a life changing journey full of self discovery and redemption.
One of the most powerful aspects of this film is how unchanging Khadeeja seems in the face of everything she endures. With little to no emotion escaping her wide, dark eyes it seems as though nothing can faze her. There is a struggle between Khadeeja being seen as both strong yet weak. Understanding that things have continuously worked against her, her entire life though she must continue to push forward. A woman who has seen it all and has essentially lost everything, there’s a vacantness behind Khadeeja’s eyes that makes the small glimpses of emotions within various scenes that much more powerful.
Representative of how women are viewed to be nothing more than appetizing chunks of meat, to be used, abused and interchanged for yet another more appealing piece, Biriyaani speaks volumes about women’s perceived places within society. Seen to be nothing more than bodies to be used rather than humans with their own individual thought processes, the film seeks to redefine that. Encapsulating what it means for to come to terms with one’s own individuality outside of what society forces onto her, Biriyaani is a brutally honest depiction of what it means to be a Muslim woman with her own individual thoughts, feelings, and desires within Kerala today.
Biryaani
Streaming through April 25
Indie Meme Film Festival April 14-24. Tickets and details at indiememe.org.
This article appears in April 22 • 2022.