This story is from May 8, 2021

#BigStory! Mother’s Day: Charting out the evolution of the maa in cinema

Since it is Mother’s Day weekend, we thought it was only apt that our #BigStory charts out the course of this evolution by talking to actors and writers who have been the catalysts of change.
#BigStory! Mother’s Day: Charting out the evolution of the maa in cinema
Bollywood loves its stereotypes. For decades, it has put mothers on a pedestal, clad them in white sarees, and whitewashed their character. In our cinema, a mother has been the picture of sacrifice--a martyr who fuels the dreams of her children with the kindling of her own unfulfilled ones--and the zenith of chastity and virtue. In formulaic films of the past, she was often evoked when the hero’s conscience needed some polishing or was wielded out as a weapon if the protagonist was veering dangerously close to the grey area of villainy.
But over time, in tandem with society, the Hindi film industry, too, has allowed its mothers to come of age. The celluloid maa is no longer sentenced to a life of domesticity; she has dusted off years of typecasting and is raring to go. Be it balancing a career along with the household or playing a friend to her homosexual son, discussing her desires, or powering through a geriatric pregnancy--she is exploring every facet of a mother that, for so long, was shrouded in the garbs of patriarchy.
Since it is Mother’s Day weekend, we thought it was only apt that our #BigStory charts out the course of this evolution by talking to actors and writers who have been the catalysts of change. Read on:
A peek at the past
Gajra Kottary (Writer): Until recently, a mother was just someone that people wanted to look up to, not someone complicated
Writer Gajra Kottary starts off by looking at the past, at the time when mothers were figures who could do no wrong. “Strength of character was something that was always associated with mothers for example in films like ‘Mother India’ or ‘Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki’. In fact, it was for this reason that the mother of ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’ was hugely criticised by the audience, as real-life moral ambivalence of a mother—who is also a woman, with several other aspects to her life, was disturbing for them. Until recently, a mother was just someone that people wanted to look up to, not someone complicated,” he points out, adding that, over the last few decades, films have evolved. “They show mothers as interesting characters like the one played by Dolly Ahluwalia in ‘Vicky Donor’ or Lillette Dubey in ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’. But these were still peacemakers and propellers for the main story. The notable exception here is Neena Gupta’s character in ‘Badhaai Ho’,” he asserts.

Shoma Chatterji (Author-historian): Sparkling performances by Vidya Balan in ‘Kahaani 2’ and Sridevi in ‘Mom’ add to the beauty of the well-written characters
Author-historian Shoma Chatterji quotes one of Bollywood’s favourite onscreen mothers, the late Reema Lagoo, to make her point. The actress, who initiated the change in the way mothers were portrayed in films--from the simpering and sobbing mothers to strong and modern mothers--had once been quoted as saying that, “Modern-day mothers are different in the sense that they come across more like a friend to the children. In ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’ (1994) and ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ (1989), I was seen as someone with whom children could share their problems. While in ‘Aashiqui’ (1990), I played a single working mother who advises the heroine to pursue her dreams of becoming successful, rather than succumb to the demand of marriage. All these mirror the changes in women in the present society”. Shoma goes on to say how the mothers in films like ‘Kahaani 2’ (2016) and ‘Mom’ (2017) turn the concept of the screen mother on its head. “Their daughters are not their biological children, but that doesn’t stop them from being just as loving. Sparkling performances by Vidya Balan and Sridevi add to the beauty of the well-written characters, making them stand out from the rest of the screen mothers,” she gushes.
Dr Harish Shetty (Psychiatrist): Bollywood mothers have moved from the despair of victimhood and the perceived glory of martyrdom to good-looking, well-groomed moms with a life and a mind of their own
Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty observes that Bollywood mothers have moved from the despair of victimhood and the perceived glory of martyrdom to good-looking, well-groomed moms with a life and a mind of their own. “The Nirupa Roys have been buried under the deepest crevices of the earth. The journey has been long and circuitous, but it has been made,” he avers, attributing the change to society. “Globalisation, collectivism gave way to individualism, precipitating a change. Now, blind reverence towards moms has died. Moms have also become aspirational. They want careers and me-times. The new mom is generous towards her daughters and stands by them through thick and thin,” he states.
Heralding the change
Shefali Shah (Actor): Earlier, it was like you needed a filler, so you put in a mother
Shefali Shah has made quite an impact with her mother roles in recent times. Ask her about her first time playing one and she relays, “I played a mother in the TV show, ‘Hasratein’ when I was just about 20. I did what came instinctively to me. But now, when I look back, I obviously feel I could have added more layers to it. It was a very author-backed script”. Coming to films, Shefali ponders over how there was a phase in cinema where the mother was reduced to nothing. “It was like you needed a filler, so you put in a mother. She wasn't really adding to completing the picture. It was added for face value,” she points out.
But there are exceptions to the cliche too and the actress herself has played several such roles. “In an ensemble cast film like ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’, Neelam Mehra has her own standing. She isn’t just a mom, but a full-fledged person. In ‘Juice’, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, she is a mom, but at the same time, she is also a complete character in herself dealing with a tussle with her son because she is not accepting what she needs in life. Then there’s ‘Delhi Crime’, where she is trying to convince her daughter about something she herself is not being able to fulfill. She is not only dealing with her own daughter who is a rebel but also with Nirbhaya. She is basically fighting for all daughters of the country,” she explains, talking about the changing roles of the celluloid maa.
Seema Pahwa (Actor): We don’t have to keep catering to the melodramatic portrayals of mothers, it should be fun
Seema Pahwa who has played a mother countless times on the screen in films like ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’, ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi!’, felt that earlier the roles of mothers were one-dimensional and they were projected as sorry and tragic figures, to inspire sympathy. “Back then, the hero-heroine were the main guys and every other character had set roles to play to support them. When you wanted comic relief, comedians were brought in, a rape scene called for a sister figure, and for tragedy, a maa was brought into the picture. But when the narrative veered towards reality, the portrayal of filmi maa changed,” she avers. For Seema, the change began with ‘Aankhon Dekhi’. “I felt my character was quite endearingly mischievous in her ways, despite being a mother figure. Even in real life, mothers are very authoritative and unreasonable so it is an apt portrayal. We don’t have to keep catering to the melodramatic portrayals of mothers, it should be fun. Even in my film, which recently released, my mother is perceived differently by each of her children, which is how it is in real life,” she adds.
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Ask her if she channels her relationship with her mother and kids for her portrayals and she smiles, “My mother was a working woman and it is because of her that I am in this field. However, because she worked to make ends meet, she couldn’t take out the time to be our friend. I realised how important she was only after I got married. But, I am like a friend to my children, so much so, that their friends also feel comfortable around me”.
Pooja Chopra (Actor): I feel it is the audience who is looking for this change and it is amazing because you now know that the shift in the mindset of society is really happening
Pooja Chopra is yet to play a mother in a film but she is highly inspired by some. “I remember watching Sridevi’s ‘English Vinglish’ and also ‘Mom’, which were both so diverse but refreshingly amazing. I feel it is the audience who is looking for this change and it is amazing because you now know that the shift in the mindset of society is really happening. I feel we are heading in the right direction,” she exults.
Kamlesh Pandey (Writer): Mothers are beginning to be more assertive, understanding, and conscious of their rights and privileges
Writer Kamlesh Pandey reiterates that the change is indeed here. “Mothers are beginning to be more assertive, understanding, and conscious of their rights and privileges, not just their duties and responsibilities. Sacrifice is outdated and suffering for no apparent reason has lost its luster. The mothers are coming of age; they are younger, sexier, and bolder,” he observes.
Waiting for the tide to change
Pooja Bhatt (Actor): As far as portrayals of mothers go, we are taking baby steps in the right direction but have miles to go as far as the perception of the audience and their tastes are concerned
For Pooja Bhatt, playing a mother has always proved to be fruitful and she admits it’s true. “I think playing a mother has always served me very well. Both ‘Zakhm’ and ‘Bombay Begums’ are set in totally different worlds and are about totally different women. As far as portrayals of mothers go, we are taking baby steps in the right direction but have miles to go as far as the perception of the audience and their tastes are concerned,” she declares. So, what would she like to see them accept? “Don’t strip us of our sensuality. Mothers should not be portrayed merely as sacrificial women who have tossed their femininity aside to care for their families. My character Rani in ‘Bombay Begums’ is caring, yet needy and manipulative at times, but above all, she is sensual. She grows along with her teenage daughter and is only able to establish a real connection with her only when she lets go of her own defenses and speaks from a place of truth and compassion.”
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The actress has also learned quite a few lessons about motherhood from playing one on screen. “Playing Rani taught me that motherhood does not have so much to do with DNA as it has to do with love. While my children in ‘Bombay Begums’ are not born to me, my commitment to their well-being is equal to that of their biological mother and perhaps even more than their biological father. Rani might take a lover when her relationship with her husband is not satisfactory but she is a traditionalist when it comes to her home, especially her children, and does all that she can to ensure their well-being,” she adds.
Mushtaq Sheikh (Writer): With the advent of the feminist movement, the portrayal of the mother that was anyway due for a change, especially in the mainstream cinema, is coming about
Writer Mushtaq Sheikh starts off by saying how, in the beginning, mothers rarely took center stage, and were instead used as characters that supported the agenda of the hero via selfless love, or as catalysts for redemption arcs in films like ‘Mother India’ or ‘Deewar’. “The mother, back then, represented virtue and presented a black-and-white version of morals,” he recalls, adding, “With the advent of the feminist movement, the portrayal of the mother that was anyway due for a change, especially in the mainstream cinema, is coming about. We underpinned mothers with the same selfless love, but gave them depth by expanding their character traits” explains Mushtaq. “Like Dimple Kapadia in ‘Luck By Chance’, Kirron Kher’s loud Punjabi mom portrayals in films like ‘Rang De Basanti’ and ‘Dostana’, Ratna Pathak Shah’s moms with a wry sense of humour in films like ‘Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na’ and ‘Khoobsurat’, Tabu’s grey character in ‘Haider’, Sridevi looking for revenge in ‘Mom’, Aishwarya racing against the clock in ‘Jazbaa’--the change is for all to see. We have even got comfortable with mothers drinking or swearing on screen, and Bollywood has been reflective of our social realities,” he observes.
Let the maa be
Smita Jayakar (Actor): A mother’s portrayal is very sacred to me; it needs to be as it is believed to be, since ages
While Smita Jayakar, who played Shah Rukh Khan’s mother in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’, acknowledges the fact that the portrayal of mothers has changed over the last 10-15 years, she doesn’t seem very happy with some of the newer attributes that mothers have been given. “Today, on OTT platforms, some moms are shown a little too bold. For the Indian culture and Indian mindset, a mother still remains a mother; she can’t be so ‘bold’. I don’t want to be a prude because I am of the older generation, but I believe a mother figure is a very important figure for a human being--right from the child is in the womb till the end of their life. So, I feel when they show the mother in this light, it creates a very different mindset among the kids,” she opines, adding that normalising divorces as ‘cool’ is also setting the wrong example. “When it comes to the child, they just can’t accept a stepmom. Even if they show such things in movies, in reality, you cannot accept a stepmom; it’s really difficult, even for 21st-century children. That ‘biological’ image of a mom is very sacred and important,” she affirms.
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What would she do if asked to play a mother with a few vices of her own? “If I was asked to portray a mom who smokes, shares a peg with their kids, I won’t be able to handle it. Because I personally wouldn’t. I have nothing against it, I am totally cool that way, and I am not being judgemental; it’s just me. I would not portray that kind of an image. A mother’s portrayal is very sacred to me; it needs to be as it is believed to be, since ages,” she says with an air of finality.
Luv Sinha (Actor): I always like it when a mother is shown as someone who teaches us how to be a good human being
Shatrughan Sinha’s son, Luv echoes Smita’s thoughts. “As the medium of movies evolved, we have seen both positive and negative portrayals of mothers, but I always believe that cinema should find a balance. We need to see someone who inspires us. If not, then the depiction of a mother at least shouldn’t disgust us, as we are all influenced by what we see to a certain degree. It depends on the director and their vision, but I always like it when a mother is shown as someone who teaches us how to be a good human being, motivates us to never give up, and inspires us to achieve our dreams,” he avers.
Tanuj Virwani (Actor): ‘Mother’ is a tag; first, you are a woman, and then a mother
Rati Agnihotri’s son, Tanuj Virwani, says, “I think the face of Indian mothers in films has been changing for a while. The first time I saw this dramatic change was Jaya Bachchan in ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’. Before that, we usually had typical Indian mothers, wearing Indian clothes, but there she was strutting around in a pair of jeans; I found that to be extremely refreshing. Today, in 2021, I feel not only mothers but all the family members have got so much to do. They are no longer stereotypical. We have broken the mould. More power to forces behind such decisions and writers who make these choices”. However, he feels that mothers always be portrayed in a positive light as ‘being a mother is the most beautiful feeling that a human being goes through’. “Having said that, we also don’t want to commit to that and be like if there is a mother in a movie she has to be positive. It should be according to the demand of the script and the writer’s vision. And ‘mother’ is a tag; first, you are a woman and then a mother and not the other way around,” he explains.
Mothers of TV
Purnendu Shekhar (Writer): These changes are reflecting the society of today
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Purnendu Shekhar, who has written shows like ‘Balika Vadhu’, ‘Saat Phere’, ‘Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani’, ‘Veera’ and is presently the script consultant on ‘Punyashlok Ahilya Bai’ said that mother’s characters will always be an important part of television as they make content for families. “However, they have changed over time. Unlike a Bhagwanti in ‘Hum Log’ who was quiet and didn’t voice her opinions, the mothers of TV today are strong and exemplary. Look at my serial, ‘Balika Vadhu’, Dadisaa, though conservative and traditional, evolved through the journey of the character in the show, Anandi’s mother, does not speak much at first, but when she finds out that Jagya is having an affair, she confronts him and his entire family. These changes are reflecting the society of today. Of course, we may take the drama a notch higher to make an impact,” he states.
Gajra Kottary (Writer): Sadly, mainstream TV has rarely shown real struggles of working women, women with desires, divorced women
However, writer Gajra Kottary begs to differ. According to him, when it comes to the portrayal of mothers, television lags behind films by a decade or two. “So, what we saw in films around the ’90s or early 2000s, in terms of evil stepmothers like Aruna Irani in ‘Beta’, or women who acted like they were the glue keeping their family together like Jaya Bachchan in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, we see in TV shows these days. These moms have been tweaked a bit and made into grandmothers. Sadly, mainstream TV has rarely shown real struggles of working women, women with desires, divorced women. Hopefully, two decades from now, when the audience is bored of clichéd characters and after being exposed to web characters, things might change.
Mothers of OTT
Shefali Shah (Actor): OTT has opened up horizons for women, period
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If Shefali is to be believed the ‘maa’ has not really changed; it is rather her portrayal that has been changed, especially with the advent of OTT platforms and their newfound popularity. “You can’t change a mother. With OTT, we are now talking about the complete woman and a mother’s various facets. Earlier, it was only about a hero and a heroine but on the digital platform, every single character is of paramount importance. OTT has opened up horizons for women, period,” she asserts.
Pooja Bhatt (Actor): OTT platforms speak in the language of 'today', they have to
Pooja sums it up, saying, “Bollywood and TV talk in the language of 'yesterday', OTT platforms speak in the language of 'today'. They have to. The world and the audiences have changed. We need to recognise that, acknowledge that and throw out our old references”. --with inputs by Milana Rao, Aditi Giri
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