Mom Revenge Movies: The Superhit Formula For Filmmakers

What is it about our mothers that elicit such strong emotions? Is it the fact that women once they become mothers give up living for themselves and dedicate their lives to their children?

The kids grow up seeing their moms do everything for them even leave behind their successful careers (at least in most cases) for them. And so become the symbol of selfless love, meant to be put on a pedestal. And god forbid if any harm is to come to her child’s way, she will shield him/her and even sacrifice herself. But what when harm does touch her child, especially her daughter? The mom in her rises to the occasion and seeks revenge. It is this emotion that Bollywood seems to hang onto but not without reason.

With Mai starring Sakshi Tanvar set to release this week, this mother’s revenge narrative is again in the spotlight. We will see a grieving mother discover the criminals behind her daughter's tragic death, and transforms from a meek to merciless to get the real story.

Women-centric films

There was a time when female actors were considered second lead to their male counterparts. But times changed, women became more outgoing, outspoken and stepped out of their homes to earn a living this is reflected in the films too. First, it was women-centric movies like Mother India (1957) starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt and Raaj Kumar led the way, the film became India’s first submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1958. In Mamta (1966) veteran actor Suchitra Sen played both mother and daughter in director Asit Sen’s drama about a fallen woman who gives up her child to shield her from her past. The film Bhavna (1984) shows Shabana Azmi’s feminist avatar of the 1980s is strongly based on the struggle of a single mother to bring her child up with dignity. The movie Kya Kehna (2000), Director Kundan Shah’s film focuses on unwed motherhood and was fairly path-breaking for its time it starred Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan and Chandrachur Singh. Paa (2009), ironically, for a film with that title, it was explicit in its portrayal of the strong, self-reliant single mother. Vidya Balan played the lead role along with Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan. We Are Family (2010), the official remake of Julia Roberts-starrer Stepmom featured Kajol, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Arjun Rampal in lead roles.

When did the Focus move to women-centric revenge films?

Bollywood is always on the lookout for new muses turned to women-centric revenge films. This genre of film has always been a success.

Recall films like Khoon Bhari Maang(1988), Mirch Masala(1987), Pratighaat (1987), Zakhmi Aurat (1988 ) had Dimple Kapadia playing an avenging cop who had been raped, Anjaam (1994), Ek Hasina Thi (2004), Bandit Queen (1994) and Kahaani (2012). All the women in these movies were trying to avenge the wrong that was done to them or their loved ones. They all are chilling and oh so real. What makes women-centric films so engrossing is that they seem so realistic. Who would understand a woman’s pain more than a woman as the men were portrayed as the perpetrators?

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Movies that are based on mom revenge

The next step for the film industry was to focus on mothers. Other than the sacrificing mother filmmakers shifted to focus on the protagonist being an avenging matriarch, it was a sure-shot formula for a super hit.

The first and foremost film that comes to mind with this theme is the 2017 Sridevi starrer Mom. The film follows the story of a stepmom who seeks justice for her daughter who is brutally gang-raped by a group of spoilt rich students of her school. Another movie that was released in 2017 and has the same theme where a mother is out for revenge is Raveen Tandon starrer Maatr where a politician’s son and his friends kidnap and sexually assault a school teacher and daughter but the daughter dies after the incident and the mother now wants to avenge her death. The next film that comes to mind is named Jazbaa, this 2015 release film's narrative revolves around an attorney forced to defend an unsavoury criminal after her daughter is kidnapped. It stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan, with Shabana Azmi. In fact, Jazbaa shows two moms, Aishwarya, the lawyer who is defending a criminal for the release of her daughter and Shabana, a mom whose daughter is raped and murdered and is seeking justice in her own way and how both mothers come together in the end.

Why mom revenge movies are a thing?

Who else would plan, bring to justice or kill for her child? A mother of course! These movies are made with the belief that moms can go to any length for their kids and the audience laps it up.

This genre, the rape and mom-revenge one is not a bad genre. It has scope for drama, histrionics, physical dexterity and being able to position the actress as the ‘star’. Which is a welcome change seeing the roles most female lead actors seem to have to deal with in Bollywood.

Whatever be the reason for the popularity of mom-revenge films, they are here to stay and carry the success of the film on their able shoulders.

The views expressed are the author's own.