The Changing Roles of a Mother in Bollywood Movies

By Amarinder Gill

A mother is seen as the procreator, a person who has given birth to a child. A mother can also be the person who has reared the child. Hindi cinema has depicted mothers and motherhood in all shades. The mother could be the biological mother, the caregiver, the surrogate or the evil stepmother. Movies initially catered to the socially constructed gender roles where mothers did the bearing and rearing of children. This paper attempts to analyse the changing roles of a mother in Bollywood movies. Onscreen mothers have undergone a major transition from the wailing, pativrata maa, best depicted by Nirupa Roy to the tech savvy, sassy moms of today.

Mother India (1957) is an ode to motherhood. Nargis is a strong single parent raising two sons while her husband has vamoosed. She lives in abject poverty and slogs on her marginal landholdings while trying to keep the lecherous Lala at bay. She is the epitome and keeper of Indian womanhood when she picks up a gun to shoot her own offspring while trying to protect the virginity of Lala’s daughter. The mother in this movie is depicted as the trinity of the creator, the preserver and the destroyer. Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan (1959) has Meena Kumari raising Raju as her own child, not knowing that she gave birth to a stillborn. A sympathetic doctor whose wife died in childbirth hands over his motherless newborn to Meena Kumari. When Raju is returned by the court to his biological father and stepmother, he is unhappy there and wants to go back to Meena Kumari, the only mother he has known.

The mother of yesteryears blockbusters was a weepy character given to exaggerated histrionics. Nirupa Roy and Rakhi best depicted these relics. The mother was a sad soul who bowed down to patriarchal norms. If she was a single parent, she worked either as maid or stitched clothes, had rheumy eyes and a hacking cough, dressed miserably and mouthed similar dialogues in all movies. The mother was the ever-sacrificing side character who was placed on a pedestal for her idealism. Dialogues like “Mere paas maa hai” from Deewar (1975) and two decades later followed by “Mere bete aayenge, mere Karan Arjun aayenge” from Karan Arjun (1995) ensured that sobbing mothers were a central formula for a blockbuster.

Bollywood has never underplayed the role of mothers who feel the dire need to get their sons and daughters married. Rather it seems to be the moral duty of every mother to see her offspring respectfully wed. In Guide (1965), Rosie the character essayed by Waheeda Rehman is the daughter of a devdasi. Her marriage arranged by her mother to the much older archaeologist Marco is an attempt to gain her respect in society. Marriage was seen as an ultimate goal for all parties involved. Pearl Padamsee played the character of an overanxious Rosie Pereira in Baton Baton Mein (1979). Widowed Mrs. Pereira wants to get her daughter married and see her happily settled in life. The theme has not changed even after twenty-five years. Bride and Prejudice (2004) harps on the same concept. Nadira Babbar has done full justice to her role as the overbearing mother of four daughters trying to fulfil her social obligation to get them married off well. She is a mother in a hurry to see all her girls settled in life. She even goes on to offer her daughter Lalita on a platter to the irritable Mr. Kohli, an NRI who has come bride hunting for a traditional ‘dulhan’ all the way from Los Angeles. Mind you, an NRI bridegroom was considered the perfect catch two decades ago.

Hindi cinema has nurtured, defended, and often anchored characters who have played the role of a mother. The song, “Yeh kya jagah hai dosto” from the movie Umrao Jaan (1981) depicted the silent figure of the mother as her courtesan daughter portrayed by Rekha performed in front of an audience. The lyrics “bula raha hai kaun mujh ko chilmano ke uss taraf, mere liye bhi kya koi udaas bekrar hai” highlight the pathos of Umrao Jaan’s visit to her native Faizabad, where her brother forbids their mother from keeping in touch with Umrao Jaan, a fallen woman thus reinforcing patriarchy and male hegemony. Bollywood has still maintained the old world manners of depicting mothers as the torch bearers of latent sexism who coerce the daughter to marry a man chosen within fixed social parameters, by the father. Smita Jaykar who performed the role of Aishwarya Rai’s mother in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) is agonised over her daughter’s intense feelings for the ‘videshi’ and questions her indirectly regarding her virginity. She also prattles about the archaic convention of family honour.

Unwed mothers have often been the theme of super hit movies in Bollywood. Aradhna (1969) with the dimpled Sharmila Tagore as the unwed mother who is jailed while protecting her son was a blockbuster. Manorama as the dominating Anglo-Indian mother in Julie (1975) did not mince words while trying to drill sense into her unmarried, pregnant daughter. As a mother, she thinks of abortion as an option but ultimately, she whisks away her daughter to have the child secretly, who is later handed over to an orphanage. Unwed mothers have undergone a long journey in movies and are navigating their own paths. Kya Kehna (2000) broke stereotypes when the heavily pregnant, Preity Zinta attends an educational institution as a student. Operating within set societal norms, she is shown as a gutsy character who copes well with the ostracization and marries a man who stood by her side rather than the biological father of the child. Though Paa (2009) was supposed to deal with a father-son duo, it is Vidya Balan the mother who steals the show. She is the strong willed, single unwed parent working as a gynaecologist and raising a quick-witted child who is suffering from Progeria, a rare genetic condition that accelerates ageing.

There has been a drastic change in the depiction of mothers on screen. The transformation of the Hindi cinema mother would be incomplete if the ‘Other Mother’ is not acknowledged here. It is not only the biological mother, the one who has given birth who fulfils the role of maa. A mother can be the adoptive mother, a transgender, a surrogate, a single father raising a child or a loving caregiver. Movies salute these Others. Amar Prem (1972) had much more than the famous dialogue, “Pushpa, I hate tears.” Sharmila Tagore essayed the role of a prostitute in whose company a desolate Rajesh Khanna finds solace. She is also the epitome of motherhood as she mothers little Nandu when he is ill-treated by his stepmother. She is the mother Nandu never had and proved her mettle as a compassionate fallen woman who cares for him. Waheeda Rehman as Dai Jaan has first raised Viren and then Pooja in Lamhein (1991). Auro’s nani in Paa (2009) fondly called Bum fills in when the mother is off to work and has been a major support for her working daughter who is also an unwed mother. Aisi Bhi Kya Jaldi Hai (1996) with its storyline of an overprotective father who is a single parent bringing up a girl child raised the barrier of the representation of the ‘Other Mother’. In Tamanna (1997), Paresh Rawal, a transgender, raises a girl child who has been dumped in a trash bin because of son preference which seems to be the social order of a male dominated society. Kirron Kher as the mother of a eunuch enacted by Arif Zarkaria in Darmiyaan (1997) challenged the very concept of motherhood. Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001) depicts Jaya Bachchan’s character as the adoptive mother of Shahrukh Khan who feels his presence even before he has entered the room. The movie Filhaal (2002) tackles the issue of surrogacy and the emotional turmoil it entails.

Cinema covers various issues that need to be highlighted. Breastfeeding is a natural phenomenon and is recommended by the World Health Organisation too. Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985) raised many heckles. Mandakini essaying the powerful role of a new mother nursing her child received more attention than her acting prowess. Rather than accepting it as a normal part of rearing an infant, the scene emerged as a titillating one. It was just a mother catering to the needs of her child.

The transformation of the onscreen maa is complete when she is shown in a flattering, mom-in-command light. The present cinematic mom refuses to accept the fate of her predecessors, but she is an amiable soul and an easily relatable character. Her character is modified as she marches ahead with changing times. The mother of the new movies still serves as the binding force of the family and treads a familiar path when she wants to see her kids settled in domesticity. Farida Jalal has excelled at playing the role of a mother who is a confidante to Kajol in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge (1995). She encourages her daughter to run away with the man she loves rather than be forced into a loveless arranged marriage. Kal Ho Na Ho (2003) unveils the role of Jaya Bachan as the independent Jennifer, a single parent, who runs a restaurant while bearing her mother-in-law’s barbs with stoicism. She is raising a child with special needs and has also adopted her husband’s love child. She is the actual leading lady holding the family together and coming to terms with her husband’s suicide. In Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998), Jaya Bachan again breaks all social barriers as she goes on a dramatic journey to understand her dead son’s Naxalite ideology.

Sexuality has been an unexplored theme and mothers in Hindi cinema have come a long way as they acknowledge sexual truths. Whether it is a doubt concerning their child’s sexuality or coming to terms with it, onscreen moms are willing to take everything in their stride. When Kirron Kher as the Punjabi mother in Dostana (2008) thinks that her son is gay and finally accepts his sexuality, it clicks with the audience. Revathi with her self-assured acting skills did justice to the role of a mother of a cerebral palsy-affected Kalki Koechlin in Margarita With A Straw (2014) as she comes to terms with her daughter’s bisexuality. Earlier mothers shied away from any talk of sex with their children. In Shubh Mangal Savdhan (2017), Seema Pahwa in her unique style imparts sex education to her newly engaged daughter using the analogy of Ali Baba and forty thieves.

Cinema has always been a reflection of society. With changing times, mother characters have also evolved. The era of tragedy queen mothers is passé. Hindi movies have a knack of ferreting out the best in onscreen moms who will go a step ahead to prove themselves and keep their self-respect intact. Astitva (2000) is about a mother battling abuse and trying to find an identity for herself. As a mother and a wife, she stands up for her dignity and slams patriarchy as espoused by her husband and son. Devdas (2002) highlights Kirron Kher as the decision maker who vows to get her daughter Paro married into a class higher than Devdas’ family. In earlier movies, the decision-making process fell within the arena of the males. This blockbuster reflects the subtle shift of authority from the male to the female. In English Vinglish (2012), Sridevi portrays the character of a small-time entrepreneur who lacks English speaking skills. As a sari clad mother she joins an English speaking course and her family who made her the butt of all jokes is left gaping when she confidently waxes eloquence in Queen’s English. Tabu’s character of Ghazala in Haider (2014) showed the intense and complex relationship between a mother and her son. Ghazala is represented as a lady who knows her mind and is the maker of her own destiny. Badhaai Ho (2018) with its storyline of a forty-something expectant woman with grown up sons was appreciated by cine goers. Neena Gupta as Priyamvada Kaushik takes the ridicule of society and embarrassment expressed by the sons in her stride. She is decisive in not opting for termination of her pregnancy. Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway (2023) is the ultimate visual ode to motherhood. It is the heart wrenching real life story of a mother who took on the Norwegian Government to get custody of her two children after they were placed in foster care.

The mother character in cinematic viewing has undergone a massive transformation. From the dukhi atma she has evolved into a protagonist who is fiercely independent and highly decisive. She is the hands-on mother, and it is soon clear that the perfect mother is just a myth. With her unique style the filmi mother breaks taboos and fights stereotypes. She knows her self-worth and has emerged as a confident person in her own right. She may function within a patriarchal mould, but she is able to carve a niche for herself. Considering the number of box office hits, audiences have accepted the onscreen mom whether she is addressed as beeji or mom.

Photo source: here

Bio:
Amarinder Gill is an academician employed with the Education Department, Chandigarh. She holds a doctorate from the Department of Sociology, Punjab University. Her areas of interest are Gender Studies and Rural Sociology.

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