Film: MOM
Rating: 2.5/5
Starring: Sridevi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Akshaye Khanna
Music Director: A.R.Rahman
Producer: Boney Kapoor, Sunil Manchanda
Director: Ravi Udyawar
Release date: July 7, 2017
Mom's trailers intrigued and kind of gave a sneak peek into what the film might be. Well, the story does feel predictable, as if we have known it all along.
But again, the director of the film Ravi Udyawar manages to give it a treatment that makes it watchable.
Story:
Arya (Sajal Ali), the 18 year old daughter of Devki played by Sridevi is raped and left to die by her classmate Mohit along with three others while she is on her way out of a Valentine’s Day party at a farmhouse.
Due to lack of evidence, all four are acquitted. How the biggest upheaval of their lives changes the life of the family makes for the rest of the film.
Artistes's Performances:
The film is a huge package of well-picked artistes and all of them put in their best to make the story enticing.
Sridevi who is the main protagonist of the film and plays the title role is of course the show-stealer. Goes without saying, she plays her part really well.
Her styling suits her character’s lifestyle and being a daughter of two teenage daughters herself, she brings forth the pain and love she has for her daughters and husband, in subdued, yet strong emotions.
She suits the part of the middle-aged teacher perfectly and carries it off with dignity. Later, when her character takes matters into hands, the director has refrained from turning her into a hysterical maniac. Instead, she is intense and that works really well for the film.
Sajal Ali is beautiful and another wonderful find from across the border. But one cannot help noticing that she is Pakistan’s Kareena Kapoor in the making. Incidentally, she also looks very much like Kareena, but does not stop her from adding her own dimension to the role of a teenager going through difficult teens.
Nawazuddin who has been playing a variety of character roles breaks the norm and plays a detective in Daryagunj, DK, who helps Sridevi. He, as usual, is his best.
Then there is Akshaye Khanna, Pakistan’s telly superstar Adnan Siddique who plays Sridevi’s husband and Abhimanyu Singh, all of whom put in good performances.
Technical Excellence:
A R Rahman provides music for the film and he has some soulful music that is soothing in keeping with the plot of the film. It is nothing loud and plays well at the right point in the storyline.
The cinematography is good as is the screenplay. But all credit goes to director Ravi Udyawar for making a film that takes you along the journey of Sridevi as she tries to cope with the anger and angst of her daughter being violated and abused.
Highlights:
Sridevi
Direction
Drawbacks:
Predictable plot
Second half
Analysis:
'Galat and bahut mein se aap kya chunoge' is the premise of which director Ravi Udyawar seems to have taken to while conceiving the story of Mom.
The story is set in the rape capital of India, Delhi, and tracks the story of a mother whose teenage daughter has been brutally raped and left to die.
After taking a story that is bound to emotionally bond with everyone, director handles the first half of the film beautifully.
However, by the time, the film reaches climax, it becomes a tad bit too predictable and that’s when you wait for the film to simply get over without much ado.
Despite the way in which Udyawar projects his characters, one cannot help wondering about the overall plot of the film and the way an angry mother finds solace finally.
Another loophole is the way in which Jagan back-tracks a technically-savvy DK and kills him. That kind of spoils the spirit of the plot.
While Devaki becomes mom from ma’am to Arya, the little incident that turns their life upside down kind of leaves the audiences wondering where the director will take the plot.
It is here that Udyawar has a tough job and the film treads the ‘oh I knew it’ path. In fact, the castration of the watchman reminds one of films like Insaaf ki Taraazu.
But all credit goes to Udyawar for remaining true to his characters and dealing with them in the most realistic way.
For example, Sridevi being a biology teacher, her husband being a navie and angry businessman, their teenage daughter Arya unable to accept Sridevi as her mother and the little girl Pihu who is too young to understand what happened to her sister.
The chasm that the rape creates between Arya and Devki has also been captured with a tender touch.
Films like Mom manage to get good reviews, but seldom end up being blockbusters. But looks like real-life husband wanted to gift his wife Sridevi one such film as her 300th film. And she really pulls off another ‘it’ mother after English Vinglish.
Bottomline: Ma'am to mom
