A few things that most Indians love include drama, food, Bollywood and their mothers. Since most of us follow Bollywood like a Bible, a lot of notions regarding what mothers are supposed to be like for the general public came and still come from the Indian film industry. Thus, this Mother’s Day, we at G Plus have made a list of some of the coolest Bollywood moms in recent times and their evolution.
1. Raakhee: The over-dramatic 90s mother
One of Bollywood’s eternal mothers, Raakhee, essayed the role of a mother in the late 1990s until the early 2000s in some of Indian film industry’s mega successful movies. Some of these include Ram Lakhan, Anari, Baazigar, Border, Soldier and Dil ka Rishta. One of her most famous roles however, has to be the grief-stricken but determined mother in and of ‘Karan Arjun’ circa 1995, in which she said the dialogue of the decade, “Mere Karan Arjun aayenge” and was she right, because Amrish Puri, another favourite Bollywood villain/father did not see that coming. This movie took the phrase “a mother’s intuition is always right” to a whole new level.
2. Jaya Bachchan: The conventional, but firm mother
Speaking of mother’s intuition, remember the scene in one of Karan Johar’s best, K3G, where Jaya Bachchan comes running to the door when she ‘senses’ her son, Rahul (Shahrukh Khan) has come home, might I add, in one of the noisiest modes of transportation ever, the helicopter? Well, guess there’s just something about Bollywood mothers and intuition that always seems to work out. However, her role in this movie did go beyond the conventional mother as she stood up to her real and reel husband in the movie, Amitabh Bachchan who kept ending conversations with “Keh diya na, bas keh diya.” In a scene-stealer moment, Bachchan says it right back to her husband and proves that she is indeed the woman of the house who would do anything to take care of her family, keep them together and she is one woman who should not be messed with. It was the mother we all needed, Bollywood included, soft but firm, passive but dominant in all the right ways.
Special mention: Kajol’s Anjali who was very much her own woman, did what she wanted, loved who she loved, but in the end, made all the right decisions.
3. Kirron Kher: The lovable Punjabi mother
Bollywood’s cool Punjabi mom, Kirron Kher is a favourite among many. Some of her most memorable roles are in movies such as Hum Tum, Veer-Zaara, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Om Shanti Om, Singh is King, Khoobsurat and the list goes on... But, one of her most famous portrayal's of a mother is in the movie, ‘Dostana’ which brought the topic of same-sex relationships into the picture, literally (p.s. the contention of its methods and tools is a discussion for another day). The upbeat overprotective Punjabi mom, Kher, is a devout traditional Indian mother who gets the shock of her life, when she realises, falsely, that her only son is gay. However, when explained to, she understands that her son’s happiness and well-being is all that matters. Man or woman, it’s all the same as long as he is happy with a good partner. It took a little getting used to for her, but she eventually got there and how, she even arranged a little ceremony for them because after all, love is love. This character, in the funniest of ways, accepted what might have been one of the most shocking things for “her” and showed the world that a mother’s love does and should overlook any obstacle. Her mantra: Be dramatic, be happy, live and let live.
4. Seema Pahwa: The sarcastic but realistic mother
One of the most dependable supporting actors in the Indian film industry, Seema Pahwa’s time is here to make it big. Starting in the mid-2010’s, she has made a name for herself by being everyone’s favourite off-beat mother. From her ever-persistent role in Dum Laga ke Haisha, to her ever-irritated, sarcastic role in Aakhon Dekhi, and her 'cool mom' role in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Pahwa has set a very realistic, yet dramatic notion of a mother in our heads. Her stand-out role was in Bareilly ki Barfi, where she desperately wants her daughter to get married, but only to the right man. She then almost has a fake heart attack when she realizes that her daughter has run away, because “what will people say?” However, when her daughter returns just minutes later, the mother passively tells her, "why did you come back at all, now I'll have to start looking for potential husbands-to-be again. I never have a moment of peace with all of you." Relatable, right? Well, that’s Pahwa's forte and she does it best.
5. Surekha Sikri: The don’t-mess-with-me mother
Surekha Sikri has been playing a mother and grandmother in television serials and movies for a long time now, and one of her most defining features in any role is her “don’t-mess-with-me-I-am-the-boss” attitude. She portrayed the same in Badhaai Ho, a defining movie in itself which tackles the issue of an older couple having a baby in their 50s. In the movie, Sikri's character shows us that even though she might be the old mother who favours her son and criticises her daughter-in-law still, when it comes to defending her family, she will stand strong like a lioness and protect them all from anyone who speaks ill of them. Another interesting fact that subtly implies her loving and accepting nature in the movie is that her character is one of the first people to accept the decision of her 50 something-year-old son and daughter-in-law having a kid in this stage of their lives. Thus, Sikri is all for breaking stereotypes and showing people who’s boss.
Special Mention: Neena Gupta who essays the role of the pregnant woman perfectly, dealing with society’s taunts, her own insecurities and her sons’ disgust and still, comes out shining because she stands for what she wants and loves unconditionally, like mothers always do.