Movie Review: Mom
Ravi Udayawar's Mom is designed packaged and marketed to the Sridevi fan lore. She disappoints. First things first. One question that kept coming to me throughout the film is: why did Sridevi not take the trouble of watching Mother India or Neeraja. Full-throated mother in one and the subtle yet powerful in the other could well have been inspiring text books when such a wonderful opportunity strikes. Unfortunately, she lets go of a rare opportunity and their-in lies the biggest drawback with this “lets show the predator men their place saga" of a Mom who tries hard and succeeds where the law fails to punish the rapists.
The increasing reports of rape in newspapers is now reflected in our culture and therefore our art and literature. Mom thus deals with how rape is a statement of strength and how it is more a power game of the incurable perverted man over the hapless victim. It then goes on to lay the next and serious premise: that you can take the avenging route to punish the guilty and each victim’s kin can go around being the 'executing courts of justice' since the legal system has failed to deliver.
Deepika (Sridevi) is the step mother of Arya (Sajal Ali) who simply refuses to accept the step mother and continues to address her as Ma’am - the teacher in school. At school, a guy who sends her lewd messages pays the price with his cell phone being thrown out of the class window and the subsequent loss of face. Dad Anand (Adnan Siddique - is a cultured and measured performance) tries hard to make peace, but is called on a business trip when the daughter goes out for a Valentine Day party and becomes a victim of rape.
A fast track court rejects the case of the prosecution and the rapists (Abhimanyu Singh and the rest) go scot free. This is when the mother decides to take law into her own hands. She employs the services of local detective DK (Nawazuddin) and gets into a complicated avenging act. She chooses each of the four victims for different yet intriguing treatment and meets with success. She also draws the attention of the police officer Francis (Akshay Khanna) who initially suspects Anand as the man behind the killings. The victims have already paid the price by the time he zeroes-in on her. By then, the primary villain also catches up with the mild school teacher-turned-killer. In the layout of the mayhem we are to savour the talent of the star around whom the film is built.
Sridevi has her timing and her approach gone wrong. Will Durant said: Time conquered even Voltaire. Sridevi is milder stuff and age shows off pathetically. Her mimicking voice, lacks the depth that the role demands. She retains a good style quotient but fails to deliver the punch. In contradistinction, we have Nawazuddin and Akshay in minor roles shinning with sheer talent and sincerity. It is sad, but true, that our cinema is pivoted around star power and talent is orchestrated in as second fiddle. Mom demonstrates this.
