Rating : 3.5/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2017
Running time : 2 hours 26 minutes
Director : Ravi Udyawar
Cast : Sridevi, Sajal Ali, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Akshaye Khanna, Adnan Siddiqui
Kid rating: PG
Sridevi is Devki Sabharwal, a busy teacher, wife and mother juggling her responsibilities. When step-daughter Arya goes missing en-route home from a late-night party, Devki is breathless with panic. Arya is found, bloody and beaten, but in the aftermath of that tragic night, is even more withdrawn from Devki’s ministrations. The perpetrators are set free by the toothless justice system, while Arya is unable to get on with day-to-day life. And there is nothing Devki can do about it.
Mom is yet another film about sexual assault in the National Capital. It is a tale of revenge, as meted out by the victim, the law and order system having failed. Thus Mom is predictable. It is also Sridevi’s film, through and through. The other actors acquit themselves well, Nawazuddin in particular as Daryaganj-based detective Dayashankar Kapoor, but this film is a vehicle for Sridevi, not that she needs one, versatile actress that she is.
Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui plays Sridevi’s husband but his character appears weak and ineffectual when compared to her’s. Sejal Ali, the young actress playing Arya does well; we’ll probably see more of her. Akshaye Khanna is his usual dashing self, all blue-jean-ed and leather-jacket-ed in his Inspector-wala role. Were that the Indian police force actually had inspectors like him 🙂
Mom is well-crafted, and movingly told. It was not as good as Pink, because you are not as involved in this predicament as you are in the one in Pink. Maybe its because Pink’s victim is a strong-willed, courageous protagonist, and Mom’s victim is more passive; it is her mother who has the courage and the guts to do something about the injustice.
On the cons side, I’d say the emphasis on Sridevi takes away from the film’s story. Also Mom’s story is a bit fantastical, what with the straight-laced teacher suddenly becoming an expert in sleuthing and breaking-and-entering.
While I liked Mom, I’d say it’s a decent one-time watch.
Kidwise: Adult situations, although nothing too grisly is depicted on screen.
