A Mother she is loving, she is caring and she is nurturing, but, beyond these soft feminine traits also lies a fighter who no matter what, can fight the world for her children. Time and again, Indian cinema, that is deeply rooted in the country’s culture, traditions and shadow of patriarchy often tends to portray the character of a “mother”, as someone who is ideal, conventional and binds the family together, by prioritising the emotions of her family before her own feelings.
As time progresses and the style of storytelling evolves, Indian cinema has also witnessed some unconventional, yet strong characters of a “mother” on the silver screen. On this Mother’s Day here are some of the most underrated yet impactful characters of a mother, which can surely remind one of their mothers.
1. Sridevi in English Vinglish and MOM
India’s first female superstar, the late actress Sridevi returned to the silver screen after a hiatus of almost 15 years with the film English Vinglish in 2012 directed by Gauri Shinde, as Shashi Godbole. She plays a simple and soft-spoken homemaker who simultaneously runs a business of selling laddoos and is often let down by her husband and children for not being able to speak English.
Upon her visit to the United States to attend her niece’s wedding, Shashi decides to learn English. Her character slowly progresses from a shy and timid woman to the one who is able to learn a new language and live life confidently on her own terms in a new country without letting the society limit her life and worth.
In the 2017 film MOM, directed by Ravi Udyawar, Sridevi played the role of a teacher Devki Sabharwal, who decides to avenge her step-daughter Aarya’s (played by actor Sajal Aly) rapists, after she was sexually assaulted and left to death after a party. Her quest to bring her step-daughter to justice after being failed by the law and order makes this crime-thriller a gripping watch.
2. Swara Bhasker in Nil Battey Sannata
The desire to give her daughter a better and brighter future, something which she herself could never get is something that every mother would dream of.
In 2015 came, Nil Battey Sannata, directed by Ashwini Iyer Tiwari in her feature debut, in which Swara Bhasker plays the role of Chanda Sahay, a maid who does menial jobs, to her teenage daughter Apeksha ‘Apu’ Sahay (played by actress Riya Shukla). Throughout the film, she constantly tries motivating her daughter to study harder, who is otherwise uninterested in studies.
In order to get her daughter to study, Chanda enrolls in her school to learn math and tutor her daughter on her own. Her strong desire to get her daughter to study irrespective of their societal and financial status is what makes this film a feel-good watch.
3. Ratna Pathak Shah in Kapoor & Sons
A dysfunctional family, having a strained relationship with her husband owing to his infidelity and elder son’s sexuality and the younger one’s turbulent career and her broken dream of starting a catering business of her own, Ratna Pathak Shah’s performance as Sunita Kapoor in the Shakun Batra’s directorial is certainly worth talking about. Bringing such multi-layered characters to life with such ease on the screen is no easy task.
Having a voice of her own, while coming to terms with the complexities within the family is quite challenging for any mother, which is what makes Sunita Kapoor a relatable on-screen mother.
4. Meher Vij in Secret Superstar
Meher Vij plays Najma, a mother to a teenage daughter (played by former actress Zaira Wasim), who is trapped in an abusive marriage while secretly supporting her daughter’s dream of becoming a singer, against her husband’s strong disapproval of the same.
Throughout the film, we see her character Najma being submissive to her husband’s insults and abuses silently, fearing having nowhere else to go, but, towards the end of the film when she sees her husband trying to throw away their daughter’s guitar and crumble her dreams, she finally decides to take a stand for her daughter and signs the divorce papers and walks out of the airport with her children, leaving her husband behind.
This shows that it is never too late for a woman to take control of her life for the betterment of her and her children’s life.
5. Kriti Sanon in Mimi
Eyes full of dreams with the desire to make it big in the world is something that every woman can relate to. In the film Mimi, directed by Laxman Utekar, the protagonist Kriti Sanon’s character Mimi is that of a dancer who is aspiring to make it big in the world of showbiz as an actress, but is unable to fund her aspirations. She then decides to become a surrogate for an American couple who are unable to conceive, in order to earn some money which then turns haywire due to some twists and turns.
Sanon’s portrayal of Mimi initially comes across as a feisty and independent woman, who slowly delves into the role of motherhood, while giving up her Bollywood dreams. This transition beautifully shows how unconditional a mother’s love is.
A movie date with your mother can be one of most satisfying yet fun ways to spend time and strengthen your bond with her. Hence, grab a bucket of popcorn and enjoy your time together by watching the above-mentioned films.
