Here's looking at 21st century mothers of Hindi cinema

Mothers have been an integral part of Hindi cinema and its narrative Over the years the industry has also seen an evolution in the way mothers are treated in cinema From being a melodramatic character who is often in the backdrop the mothers of 21st century are given the space to show their true potential with layered and nuanced writingOn Mothers Day we look at some of the characters from the 21st century that has stood outRatna Pathak Shah in Happy FamilyRight from the turn of the century Ratna Pathak shah has reinvented the role of a mother whether it is Maya Sarabhai in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai Savitri in Jaane TuYa Jaane Na or as Hemlata Dholakia in the recently released web series Happy Family Ratna Pathak Shah plays the role of a matriarch in a upscale Mumbai house in the latest series She never fears from speaking her heart out and debunks all older women stereotypesAlso Read Motherrsquos Day 2023 We found out why mothers love watching daily soapsRani Mukerji in Mrs Chatterjee vs NorwayRani Mukerji had all in tears with her performance in the film Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway She very well portrayed the angst of a mother who is separated from her toddler in a foreign country The film shows her battle with a country and its law as she sets out to unite with her kidKajol in Salaam VenkyKajol essays the role of a mother whose son is diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy The film is based on real life story of Kolavennu Venkatesh Kajol delivers a heart breaking performance as she sets out to fulfil her dying sons last wishPriyanka Chopra in The Sky Is PinkPriyanka Chopra essayed the head strong mother in a film that is based on the true story of Aisha Chaudhary who suffered from severe combined immunodeficiency and pulmonary fibrosis The story also focuses on her parents Aditi and Naren and how they navigate their relationship while their child suffers from a terminal illness The film narrates the story from the point of view of Aditi played by Priyanka and how she carries through her personal and professional life in this inspiring taleKriti Sanon in MimiKriti Sanon who hails from a small village plays an aspiring actor who dreams of making it big in Bollywood She takes up the opportunity to become a surrogate mother for an American couple who is unable to conceive to earn big bucks However the American couple abandon the child after they get to know that the child might have Down Syndrome Sanon gets attached to the child and looks after him The film focuses on stigma around down syndrome surrogacy and even adoptionSridevi in Mom and English VinglishIn Mom Sridvei sets out to avenge her stepdaughter after she is sexually assaulted at a party This is not the first time that Sridevi debunked the stereotypical mother image Previously Sridevi played a mother to two in English Vinglish Her character comes into her own when she decide to take English classes after being mocked for not knowing the language While she learns the language she also spreads the message on using language as a medium of communication and not to belittle anyoneKareena Kapoor Khan in Good NewwzIn the film Good Newwz released in 2021 Kareena Kapoor Khan and Akshay Kumar who play a married couple opt for IVF to conceive a child However a confusion arises at the hospital when another couple played by Kiara Advani and Diljit Dosanjh arrive for the procedure at the hospital in the same day In the process Kareena gets impregnated with Diljits child while Kiara get impregnated by Akshays child The film centers around how Kareena develops a bond with the child in her fetus while Akshay Kumar is unable to connect with the unborn child Kareenas powerpacked monologue on motherhood is one of the highlights of the filmSakshi Tanwar in MaiTanwars portrayal of Sheel Choudhary a grieving mother is one of the strongest performances of late She plays a middleclass mother and a nurse working at Geeta Bhawan an old age home who witnesses the death of her daughter Her daughter dies after getting hit by a speeding truck However when she learns that her daughter did not die in an accidnet but a preplaned murder she sets out to uncover the truth