Happy Monday! Almost through to May, and it is finally springlike weather here. All thanks to my system of putting away my winter sweaters on Easter. Without that, spring would never come.
As always, you can ask me anything from the personal (“what is your favorite Spring song?”) to the specific (“are their spring songs in Hindi film?”) to the general discussion (“what is the best film to watch to celebrate the start of spring?”).
The only rule is, you have to let me answer first! Even if someone else asks a question that you have an answer for. The discussion just goes better if I start it.
Now, question for you! Mother’s Day is coming up, what is your favorite Mother movie?
For me, I am torn between awesome avenging mothers like Sridevi in Mom, or Army, and strong surviving moms like every mother in every Amitabh movie ever. Hmm. I think I might land on a tie between Zarina Wahab in My Name is Khan and Simran in Kannathil Munnamithal.
Oh, and Miss Braganza made me promise to give dog updates. She is having a hard time settling down for the night, but swaddling seems to help. Which makes sense, since she is really just a baby dog, not quite 2 years old yet.
dontcallitbollywood 
Your dog’s bed is my favorite shade of pink. 🙂
Today is World Book Day, so what are you actively reading right now? (i.e., not Thugs of Hindostan!)
As for your question, since I’ve been watching the Telugu Lava Kusha, I think that makes for quite a good “mother” film — lots of strong mothers here! Kausalya (Rama’s mother), Sia, and Mother Earth (i.e., Sita’s mother).
LikeLike
I like the color too! It looks good in my room.
A friend just loaned me “The Windfall”, by Diksha Basu. I know nothing about it besides what she told me, and the only reason she lent it to me is because of the India connection. Very wary of reading a book on that basis, but she is a nice lady, so I probably will just to be nice.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 7:56 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
I have a copy of Windfall, too. Tell us how it is when you’re done. On my TBR pile, there are always several titles by Indian and Pakistani authors. I will always look closer at a book if it looks like there is a South Asian (or Irish) connection. And I get tons of advance review copies at conferences and I’m an avid used bookstore (and library sale) shopper. One can never have enough books. Though I’m quickly approaching the point where I have more TBR books than keepers on my shelves after weeding over the years.
LikeLike
I’ve gotten very ruthless about TBR books, the only ones I keep are the Indian film ones, because those are ones I know I will not be able to find anywhere unless I keep hold of my purchased copies. And I am pretty sure I will still be interested in them. Otherwise, I try to follow a “if I am ready to read it, I will be able to find it in a library or buy it when I want it” policy.
Oh, except for romance novels. Partly because they are so cheap and small, why not keep them to read later?
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 8:57 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
My favorite mom’s in Hindi films are Simran in Kannathil Munnamithal, Kajol in We Are Family (it’s a good movie, it really is!), Swara Bhaskar’s character in Nil Battey Sannata, Kriti’s mom in Bareilly Ki Barfi, Shabana Azmi in Neerja, and Kirron Kher in Dostana. Sridevi in Mom would just be a sentimental choice right now…it is a great performance but I don’t know if it’s my favorite kind of story.
My least favorite mom is definitely Amrita Singh in 2 States. I hate that character with a passion, despite simultaneously having sympathy for her as an abused wife.
LikeLike
Still haven’t seen We Are Family, but I am curious about it because of the Kajol mother performance, I was guessing she would be a different kind of a mother.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 9:06 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
Maybe you can do a post about the different types of mothers and how the early movies started the stereotypes.Amrita Singh in Shootout at Lokhandwala who’ll support her son no matter what he does to Nargis who’ll shoot her son if he crosses the limit present two extremes of motherhood.My favorite filmi mom has to be Kirron Kher from Hum Tum. She’s very supportive,nags a little and is very supportive of her daughter’s choices.But she’s too sweet to be real.
LikeLike
I forgot about Kirron Kher! I love her.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 9:25 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
Most portrayals of motherhood in film are soooo problematic. Either martyred or evil. I’ve often said I love being a mother but I hate the identity of being a mother, if that makes any sense. Having said that, I love English Vinglish because it explicitly addressed the mom who everyone sees through the lens of her familial role but who is far more intelligent, complex and interesting than anyone gives her credit for.
I began watching Awaara last night and baby Shashi was incredible even at such a young age. It’s also pretty cool having three generations of Kapoors in one movie (I count Shashi as a separate generation because he was so much younger than Raj).
Random: I saw a YouTube clip of a scene with Denise Richards and Akshay Kumar which kind of broke my brain but also got me thinking who else from Hollywood has made Bollywood cameos.
LikeLike
That clip is from Kambakht Ishq, very odd movie, sooooooo many cameos. Sylvester Stallone and Brandon Routh were also in it.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 9:26 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
I was about to make a post saying exactly this: the only mother I found that I really like is Sridevi in English Vinglish, as she’s the only fully formed character I can think of. That said, I found Supriya Pathak and Ratna Pathak Shah, as two (unrelated) mothers in the Netflix movie Lover per Square Foot really entertaining. They hit a few Indian mother stereotypes but they are neither sweet nor evil and very funny.
LikeLike
Oh, you reminded me of another great Ratna Pathak Shah mother! Her mother in Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na. Not the usual nurturing mother type, but still wise and wonderful and strong and there for her son.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 10:51 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
Forgot to say thanks for the dog update! looks like she is settling in nicely.
LikeLike
Yes! She has me almost fully trained now, we’ve even worked out bedtime, sort of.
On Wed, Apr 25, 2018 at 10:54 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
I think so! I still wouldn’t bet on her ability to pick me out of a crowd, but she is sleeping through the night now and seems generally happy.
LikeLike
A “Mother Movie” would be, imo, a movie where the main protagonist has a mother role and there is English-Vinglish, too, that comes to my mind spontaneously. As for a very strong mother role in a movie with another lead, that would be Jaya’s character in KalHoNaaHo.
LikeLike
I feel like there is a movie I am forgetting in which the driving force of the plot is a mother protecting/trying to reunite with her children. But all I can think of now is Gadar. Amisha certainly wants to reunite with her son and that is a big part of the plot, but I know there is a better example I am blanking on if I can only remember it.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 10:29 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
Here are some exemples of mother-centered Hindi movies 🙂
https://www.livemint.com/Consumer/xTR7kDwywHEvXwja5WyHzI/Ten-Bollywood-films-centered-on-the-mother.html?utm_source=scroll&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=scroll
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cool, thanks!
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 1:35 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
Right now I can only think of Tisca Chopra from Taare Zameen Par. I still cry buckets when I watch the maa song. I know it’s a very usual sentimental mother role, but she’s so warm and nice and protective.
LikeLike
I’m putting together my Mother’s Day songs post, and I am already crying over it.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 10:40 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
My favorite mom song is the Karan-Arjun song
LikeLike
There is another very famous mom song in Tamil, for the movie Thoongaathae Thambi Thoongaathae, pictured on Kamal Haasan
Kamal deserved an oscar just for his emoting in this song
LikeLike
“Ma Kali”, or the one with the two brothers that I can’t remember the name of?
LikeLike
The two brothers song
this bond is a bond of love
it is a confluence of attachment across multiple generations
LikeLike
Ramya Krishnan in Baahubali (even though, she is actually the step-mom to the hero)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooo, good one!
LikeLike
Have you reviewed any of the movies directed by Fazil. He had a sensitive touch.
His movie Poove Poo Choodavaa had Padmini as a grandmother, which is effectively father’s mother, so you consider that movie also.
LikeLike
I think I have seen a couple of his movies. He did the early Shalini/Kunchacko film, right? The one that was remade as Doli Saja Ke Rakna?
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 1:53 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike
Yes. My favorite is Varusham 16 a remake of Ennennum Kannettante
it depicts a get together of a joint family and has the whole gamut of relationships; not just mother-son !
LikeLike
“Sanju” teaser is out.
LikeLike
My all time favorite movie mom is Shirley MacLaine. I just love her in Terms of Endearment and Postcards from the Edge. I love her in Steel Magnolias too, where she is an awesome counterpart to Sally Fields’ saccharine mom character. “I’m not crazy, Melin, I’ve just been in a very bad mood for 40 years!”
I have only begun to explore the range of moms in Hindi movies, but so far my faves are Kirron Kher in Devdas and KANK, and Reema Lagoo in Yes Boss. She is just so nice to Juhi!
Books–I’m starting to despair of getting reading back into my life, other than reading for work or online. Ugh. I blame Trump. When will our long national nightmare end?
LikeLike
Kirron Kher is always a super fun Mom. Manages to be both sentimental and funny at the same time.
On Tue, Apr 24, 2018 at 10:13 AM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
>
LikeLike