Mere pass maa hai, the iconic dialogue from the film Deewar has placed the mother as an important commodity owned by any son in Hindi cinema. According to them, a mother is the epitome of sacrifice.The filmmakers have utilised the presence of mothers to glorify their heros as they could save their emotional mothers. But this angry young man cinema forgets to inculcate the stories of mothers from real life.
Nowadays mothers are not sitting idle at home and getting emotional every now and then. They are passionate and empowered. This has been visible in many films of recent times.
Sridevi’s National award winning film, MOM, breaks all the notions of male’s revenge tales where women played the victim. This time a woman has decided to fight with the criminals. She successfully takes the charge to take revenge without seeking help from any male counterpart.
Gauri shinde’s English Vinglish(2012) is a mirror to a large number of mothers in Indian households. Sri Devi was subjected to ill treatment in her home. She was not respected by her own children. Until the mother(Sridevi) decides to learn English. The film maker has truly paid an honour to all the women who choose house over career. Though the mother was self employed and sold laddoos but those ladoos put a lot of value when she knew english accent.
The recent films like Panga starring Kangana ranaut and Saand ki Ankh starring Tapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar brings spot light on the condition of Indian women sports players who end up choosing their family over career after marriage. Later, they decided to come back in the game and they were better than before.
Even in Vidya Balan’s Tumhari Sulu, the world turns upside down when Sullu aka Sulochna, gets to talk the late night Sariwali bhabhi show on radio,talking huskily to strangers about love and more.She is enjoying the time but her personal life becomes complicated.
The controversial film, Lipstick under my burkha, was censored by saying,”The story is lady oriented, their fantasy above life. There are contanious sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society, hence film refused under guidelines (sic)”.
When we can applaud the passionate mother why can’t we digest the fact that she is a woman first. And displaying her sexual urges is no big deal. The film is giving a platform to discuss women’s sexuality which has never been discussed as yet.
This theme is explored in Ayushman Khurana’s Badhai ho very well. It brings into light that your mon and dad had sex and thats how you were born.And we need to accept the fact that she too experience sexual pleasures and we should not stereotype by saing- Ye bhe kio mummy papa ke karne ki chez hai.
While there are some films which still keep an old school view about the mothers in society but there are many others who are helping to end the stereotypes. And so it is helping to transform the perspectives of many conservatives. The Cinema has the potential to bring a change in society without bringing any new law into force. And that’s why it will be more than a medium of entertainment .
