Mother`s Day: Bollywood movies on motherhood : Zakhm (1998)

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Mother`s Day: Bollywood movies on motherhood

Bollywood movies on motherhood

A mother is surely the most important figure in anybody`s life.

And Bollywood has time and again shown the beautiful side of motherhood, with `Maa` being a prominent figure in almost all the movies.

This Mother`s Day let`s take a walk down the memory lane and look back at a few films that have paid an ode to being a mother.

Mother India(1957)

Perhaps the most famous of them all - directed by Mehboob Khan, `Mother India` is a hindi drama starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt and Raaj Kumar. It tells the story of a poverty-stricken woman Radha played by Nargis who struggles to raise her kids in the absence of her husband. A fine example of a stoic mother who faces the hardships for her children.

Kya Kehna (2000)

The smashing hit movie was helmed by Kundan Shah starring Preity Zinta. Saif Ali Khan and Chandrachur. It depicts the society`s view on premarital pregnancy, and the criticism that Priya Bakshi (Preity) in the movie had to face as she carried a child out of wedlock.

Mamta (1996)

The Bengali version of the movie `Uttar Falguni` won the National Award. The 1996 Hindi film `Mamta` featuring Suchitra Sen, Ashok Kumar and Dharmendra was directed by Asit Sen. The story revolves around the search of a young girl for her mother who had sacrificed her dreams and aspirations to give her daughter a better life.

Hazaar Chaurasi ki Maa (1998)

Hazaar Chaurasi ki Maa is Govind Nihalani`s one of the most touching film ever, based on Bengali novel Hajaar Chaurashir Maa. The movie stars Jaya Bachchan and Anupam Kher.
The story deals with the life of a woman who has lost her son, to the violence as a result of his adopted Naxalite ideology. And in the process learns about his dead son`s struggle.

Zakhm (1998)

A touching tale of a Muslim mother who is burnt during clashes. The story revolves around the son who decides to give his mother the proper honourable burial after her death. The story shows how the mother gives up her faith to keep up appearances to be ideal for her love and her child. The movie that was directed by Mahesh Bhatt is closely based on his own life, and it explores the relationship between Bhatt and his mother.

Compiled by: Anindita Dev