Women in the mainstream Indian cinema and television has always been represented in a "stereotypical'' manner. But since few years, women characters have been written in a more nuanced way especially several the character of mothers. Today, they are shown as not just someone who works 24/7 at the kitchen or sheds tears at trivial issues. They are strong, fierce, and independent.
This Mother's Day, have a look at some of the mothers from Hindi films and shows who broke the stereotypical portrayals.
1. Shefali Shah in 'Darlings'
Shefali Shah played Alia Bhatt's on-screen mother Shamsu in the satirical drama of love and abuse. Alia plays Badru, who is naive and vulnerable and suffers from physical abuse by her husband Hamza (Vijay Varma). Shamsu, who is a strong woman earns her own bread. Unlike other moms, she never let her child compromise or adjust with her husband. Fed up of the domestic violence, Badru and her mother decide to teach a lesson to Hamza. Alia and Shefali stole the show with their terrific acts. They are naive yet volatile. It's a delight to see such a strong woman characters are written especially Shefali's Badru is someone who has defied stereotype.
2. Sushmita Sen In 'Aarya'
From just being a wife and a mother to being a strong, independent and fiesty protagnist, Sushmita Sen's Aarya is one of the most strong mom characters ever written. She goes to any extent to protect her family. Despite all odds and hurdles, she fights till she is successful. She safegards herself and her children from the death threats, mafias and follows the path of revenge. She wins audiences' hearts with her strong portrayal of homemaker-turned-gangster in 'Aarya'.
3. Neena Gupta in 'Masaba Masaba'
Actress Neena Gupta is someone who has broken stereotypes with her life choices. She has taken some really bold decisions in life. Neena and Masaba played their fictional selves in ‘Masaba Masaba’. The series showed how Masaba inherited her mom's strength and ability. It was so refreshing to watch Neena giving insights to life and sharing some important life lessons with her daughter.
4. Kriti Sanon in 'Mimi'
Kriti Sanon's portrayal of a surrogate mother, Mimi, has broken stereotypes of portrayal of mothers in the Hindi films. Kriti has gave it all to her character and fully justified it. She received lots of love and appreciation from critics, fans, and celebs for such strong performance. She gained about 15 kgs of weight to play the role of the surrogate mother in the film. Kriti received her first National Award for Best Actress for it.
5. Alia Bhatt in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'
It won't be wrong to say that Alia Bhatt gave her career's best performance in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'. She played role of Gangubai, a woman from a simple family who was forced into prostitution by her lover. Gangubai emerges as a strong woman who fights for the woman of red-light area and their education and rights. In one of the scenes, she says, “I am Gangubai, and I’m here to get my daughters into school. So what if I’m from the brothel?” She might not be their biological mother, yet she has a firm stance to fight for them and their education. Alia bagged the National Award for her portrayal of this iconic character.
If we have missed any other strong on-screen mom, do let us know.
