Six Bengali Films Portraying Feminist Mothers That You Would Love Watching

Feminist Bengali Mothers Onscreen: In most cinema, women characters are consciously or subconsciously given the trait of a mother- the care and gentleness of a woman. Over the years, these specs have evolved as writers and filmmakers stumbled upon other traits like selfishness, amongst others. With more women creators joining the space, the reality was injected into an unreal character.

For Bengali cinema, feminism has been a major theme. In the earliest, Tollywood witnessed films like Ghore Bhaire by Satyajit Ray and Teen Kanya Aparna Sen, amongst others. While Ghore Bhaire pinpointed how women were compared to Bharat Mata, an epitome of sacrifice in India's freedom movement, Teen Kanya showed two people's coming to age stories.

Similarly, the new directors in Bengali cinema have also held on to this trait to explore women's characters as mothers and as feminists. They are no longer godly creatures who can make no mistake, but they are humans who can correct their ways and learn to listen to their children.

Suggested Reading: No, We Don’t Always Sing Rabindra Sangeet: Bengali Women And Sexist Stereotypes

Here is a list of six such Bengali women characters who played the role of feminist mothers onscreen:

Shovarani From Mukherjee Dar Bou 

Shovarani is played by Anashua Majumdar. The story is about her daughter-in-law Aditi, played by Koneenica Banerjee and her gradually breaking shackles and developing a bond, that is unexpected by the society, who sees the relationship as always bickering generally. In the story, Aditi is also a mother to a six-year-old. The film explores how women tend to lose their identity over being called a mother or mother-in-law. It is directed by Pritha Chakraborty.

Six Bengali Films Portraying Feminist Mothers That You Would Love Watching

Suzy From Crisscross 

Suzy, played by Priyanka Sarkar, is a freelance graphic designer who is struggling to find a job. She is also a single mother, who has just stepped out of a toxic marriage. She is trying to provide her son with a quality education but does not have money for it. The story is about her struggles and day-to-day experience as a single mother. It focuses on her career and her dealing with finances in a society where fathers are seen as the sole provider to the family.

Kritika From Swade Ahhlade 

Kritika, played by Priyanka Sarkar is a confident working woman and a single mother to a daughter. She is judged and taunted by society but is not affected by any of it. Kritika meets Chaitali, a homemaker and convinces her to monetise her cooked meals. The film shows the beginning of the bond between the two women and them starting a home delivery business together. Chaitali has been in a toxic and abusive relationship for a long time but this newfound financial independence pushes her to confront her husband and fight against her in-laws.

Sushmita From Posto

Sushmita played by Mimi Chakraborty is a working mother, who balances her job and takes care of her son. But when her husband, played by Jisshu Sengupta decides to move to the UK to start a business, she quits her job to support him. But her son's grandparents, with whom he stayed, refuse to let him go. In a scene, she tells the grandparents that she has right over her son and talks about how she had to take an injection to stop breast milk because her son did not want to stay away from his grandparents. The film shows how working mothers have to always prove love for their kids.

Upama from Shonar Pahar 

Upama, played by Tanuja Mukherji is a retired school teacher who is unwilling to compromise. She learns how to drive, goes on a trip with a child she met through an NGO, amongst others. She stays away from her son and daughter-in-law. She does not wait for her son to return. Although, she forgives him when he does and it ends on a happy note.

Sanaka From Paromitar Ek Din 

Sanaka is played by Aparna Sen. She and her daughter in law Paromita, played by Rituparna Sengupta, share a strong bond. The story unfolds on the days of Sanaka's funeral and Paromita sits and mourns the death of her companion. Their relationship is revealed in flashbacks and how they managed to stick together in a patriarchal society, which suppressed their sexuality.