The mother figures in 'Bheed', 'The Sky Is Pink', 'Badhaai Do', 'Mimi', and 'Mai' are strong, willful, and unique.
Motherhood has traditionally been portrayed in cinema as a nurturing and sacrificial role, with mothers often depicted as selfless caregivers and homemakers. However, recent films have explored the complexity and diversity of motherhood by showcasing characters who redefine the traditional image of a mother. From a single mom fighting for her daughter's safety in 'Bheed' to a surrogate mom who refuses to give up her baby in 'Mimi', these screen moms show us that there's more to motherhood than we realize.
Dia Mirza in 'Bheed'
In 'Bheed', Dia Mirza plays Geetanjali, a single mother desperate to reunite with her daughter during the lockdown and demonstrates a gamut of emotions ranging from anger at her self-involved ex-husband, fear that she will not be able to fetch her daughter from her hostel in time, her realization of the vast misery of the migrant crisis and finally empathy for those who have less privilege than her. Dia sensitively portrays the raw emotions of a mother in this Anubhav Sinha directorial which sheds light on the plight of migrants during the lockdown and also depicts economic, social, and caste-based faultlines. The film released on March 24th, and also stars Ashutosh Rana, Pankaj Kapur, Bhumi Pednekar, and Rajkummar Rao.
Priyanka Chopra in 'The Sky Is Pink'
In 'The Sky Is Pink', Priyanka Chopra plays Aditi Chaudhary, a mother valiantly fighting to protect her terminally sick daughter from the inevitable. Based on the late Aisha Chaudhary's book 'My Little Epiphanies', this film recounts how Aditi dedicated her life to Aisha right from her birth till her tragic death at the age of 18 due to Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). Through Aisha’s (Zaira Wasim) lens, we see Aditi dealing with her tumultuous and passionate marriage, and battling all odds like a warrior to get the best possible treatment for her daughter. Chopra is phenomenal in a pivotal breakdown scene and makes you feel the rage and helplessness of a mother who knows she is going to lose her child. The Shonali Bose film was released in October 2019 and also stars Farhan Akhtar, Rohit Saraf, and Manas Mittal.
Kriti Sanon in 'Mimi'
Kriti Sanon’s stellar performance in this comedy-drama revealed not just many facets of her talent but also the grey areas of surrogacy. She plays a single, unmarried girl who agrees to a surrogate pregnancy, but then embraces motherhood when the couple in question refuses to accept the baby. She decides to face the world bravely and to focus on raising her son and then refuses to give up on him when the couple returns to claim him as their own. Directed by Laxman Utekar, the film also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Evelyn Edwards, and Manoj Pahwa.
Sakshi Tanwar in 'Mai'
In the psychological thriller, ‘Mai’, Sakshi Tanwar plays a middle-class mother, Sheel Chaudhary who is determined to find those responsible for her mute daughter Supriya's (Wamiqa Gabbi) murder. Her motherly instinct constantly niggles at her and she can sense a larger conspiracy behind this tragedy which has been painted as just another hit-and-run accident. As a grieving mother, Sakshi transforms into a steely, calculative, and ruthless avenger who will not stop till the guilty have been punished for their crime. Released in April 2022, this series is helmed by Atul Mongia and Anshai Lal. It also stars Ankur Ratan, Raima Sen, Anant Vidhaat Sharma, and Seema Pahwa.
Sheeba Chaddha in 'Badhaai Do'
Sheeba Chaddha plays a rather innocent and guileless mother in 'Badhaai Do' whose understanding of marriage and life is conventional and yet in a moment of crisis, she stands by her gay son (Rajkummar Rao) and accepts his truth without a second thought. It is this compassion and solidarity that provides him with the courage to claim his sexuality proudly before his family. This 2022 comedy-drama directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni is the first Hindi cinematic exploration of a lavender marriage. It portrays the challenges LGBTQ+ love faces in a conservative society and features Rao and Bhumi Pednekar in lead roles.
