It is always the women in the household who sets the scene or who helps sustain patriachy. Look at Joji's SIL. He must have been a young boy when she came into the household, yet she let him call her by name and not the usual chechi etc which is still prevalent in Kerala..

Normally she should have an upperhand over Joji being much younger to her. Yet she did not even take that chance.
We are victims of our own creation in many situations. Do not blame it all on men.

My MIL used to tell me..never talk anything back to FIL. Though my FIL was the coolest man whom I ever saw and had muchbaffection for me, she was just trying tonset the tone..tradition..

An unpopular opinion..but I think Malayalam films are repeatedly potraying regressive practices in recent movies. Do you remember some of the women characters in earlier movies? Imagine Sheela, Sukumari...they ran households in another manner...