The month of March marks Women’s History Month and International Working Women’s Day the significance of which still remains unrecognised. The international event stemmed from the labour movement in order to get the demand for shorter working hours, better wages and the right to vote fulfilled. At present, the understanding that has developed around the event has been reduced to appreciating womanhood. There is still a lack of consciousness about societal challenges women face. One of them is the glorification of motherhood.
There is still a lack of consciousness about societal challenges women face. One of them is the glorification of motherhood.
In society, it is expected of women to conform to traditional motherly ideals to raise ideal children. With this expectation, women’s social position is associated with the private domain. The concept of motherhood is glorified and attached to them. Due to this glorification, women’s motherhood is considered a source of relief, happiness and care. In the midst of idealisation, women’s struggles as mothers go unnoticed.
So, on the occasion of the International Working Women’s Day, this listicle comes up with seven prominent films that repudiate the glorification of motherhood. The films reflect women’s struggles to transcend societal boundaries.
- Phone Call
Phone Call depicts a mother who has never gone to the bank. She is engaged in managing the household domain; she does not get time to step outside her home. In society, a woman faces challenges outside the home as she does not get significant exposure to it. It is even expected of male members of the family to take care of documentation work, while women focus more on household activities.
In its short glimpse, the hesitation of the mother is shown when she visits the bank to transfer money to her son, who wants her to visit the bank. This short film also challenges the notion of motherhood that expects women to raise ideal children through love, care, anger and manipulation. The film does the opposite; it showcases the son using anger and manipulation to make his mother open the house doors to access the bank for the first time.
The film does the opposite; it showcases the son using anger and manipulation to make his mother open the house doors to access the bank for the first time.
Phone Call may also reflect our parents’ experiences too. While interviewing the director of this short film, Ankur Singh shares his first-hand experiences about his mother’s struggles to remain updated. When he left Kanpur and migrated to Mumbai in pursuit of studies for growth, his mother was struggling to get rid of her traditional life. He tried to converse with her regarding the same, and even used tricks such as love, anger, and manipulation to make her aware of her independence. In the subsequent time, his experiences turned into this beautiful film.
- Jaane Tu…. Ya Jaane Na
Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na underscores several themes in a beautiful way. First things first, it highlights friendship in its true essence. In addition to this, the role of Jai’s mother that is played by Ratna Pathak is a portrayal of an independent woman who raises her son to stand up against aggressive behaviour and toxic masculinity. The mother, named Savitri, is represented as an intellectual passionate about reading feminist thoughts. Her cinematic character is seen reading Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth, which is based on setting beauty standards against women.
On the one hand, as a mother, she raises her son to be respectful to others. On the other hand, she goes beyond motherhood to explore her identity through feminist books. The film also highlights single parenting, which is considered a cultural stigma. It is often termed as a ‘broken family’ or a ‘dysfunctional family’ in society, which leads to negative consequences for children. This film challenges such a stereotype through the portrayal of Savitri, a single parent who is strong and reluctant to adhere to traditional ideals.
It is a short film that opens with a mother telling her children about the intersectionality of different identities. In the film, the struggle of the mother is shown as she deals with societal expectations and pressure on her to look after her children and other household responsibilities. She cannot get significant space to maintain for herself. The societal pressure she is put under, affects her mental well-being.
The film shows her vomiting blocks, and with them, she builds a house for herself to maintain space. The house can be taken into consideration as a rebellion against societal norms that frustrate her.
- Talaash
Talaash, starring Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee and Kareena Kapoor, was released in 2012. The film is a crime thriller. It highlights the social issue where the social position of a sex worker is deemed to be worthless. In addition to this, there is another theme that challenges the glorification of motherhood.
Rani Mukerjee plays the role of a mother named Roshini whose son dies. She goes into grief and struggles with feelings of helplessness.
Rani Mukerjee plays the role of a mother named Roshini whose son dies. She goes into grief and struggles with feelings of helplessness. The portrayal challenges the idealisation of motherhood as a source of empowerment and fulfillment. Her grief stems from the tragic death of her son, which inculcates self consciousness in her.
- Paa
This film not only deals with a rare genetic disorder, Progeria, but also with single parenting. Vidya as a doctor and a mother accepts the responsibility of raising her disabled son and smashes stereotypes. It is erroneous to call her character a ‘superwoman’ as gender-based discrimination is disguised as this term.
Being a superwoman in society means to manage and balance both paid and unpaid work; Vidya maintains her separate space along with her son. She holds an unconventional parenting approach to challenge the traditional one that is deemed selfless and sacrificing.
- Dil Dhadakne Do
Dil Dhadakne Do is one of the most prominent films in Bollywood that tackles the issue of the social position of women being considered secondary. The cinematic character of Neelam Mehra, played by Shafali Shah, struggles to maintain her identity. On the one hand, in the chaotic relationship with her husband, she falls victim to ‘muted’ misogyny. On the other hand, in the relationship with her children, she appears to be a strong woman.
Although, as a mother, she still has to adhere to conventional norms such as compelling her daughter to remain dedicated to her chaotic married life.
Republic World calls the film a ‘drama-comedy‘ but it reflects societal pressure on people. Zoya Akhtar who made her directorial debut with the film depicts women struggling to maintain their presence. It also sheds immense light on tradition, compelling Neelam to stay in her loveless marriage, and expecting her daughter to compromise on her business and have a baby.
This is a 14-minute long film about a mother who awaits her son to return home, but her excitement gets overlooked because her emotions are invisible to her family members. There is a notion that it is considered important to adhere to the traditional motherhood ideals, but what if the children start ignoring their mother’s struggle to raise them? During the entire process of reproducing and bringing up children, a mother’s space remains occupied with responsibilities. She does not get her significant space to find comfort.
In fulfilling societal demands, a woman as a mother pays all attention to her children, but does not get the same in return when she gets older. Although the tiniest bit of attention can make her find comfort, as is shown at the end of the film, she loses her individuality, comfort and agency, while maintaining the glorification of motherhood.
About the author(s)
As a student of history at the University of Delhi, Nashra Rehman is always elated to share
her understanding of Gender History and an interlink between past and present. She is highly
passionate to inculcate in awakening minds pertaining to “How and Why women are
marginalised” through her publications.
