Who can replace Farida Jalal, Reema Lagoo as moms on sceen?

In the ’60s and ’70s, mothers in films were selflessly sacrificing and thought the world began and ended with their children (read sons). Often shown as poor and wronged, you would see her toiling away at the sewing machine or doing manual labour. Nirupa Roy (Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony) excelled at it.In the ’80s and ’90s, Reema Lagoo (Maine Pyaar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun) and Smita Jaykar (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani) played the middle-class moms — strict and sweet with their children — to perfection. Between the two, they dominated the screen as mothers.

When Farida Jalal (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai), Kirron Kher (Dostana, Khoobsurat) and Kiran Joneja (Jab We Met) started playing moms a whole new genre of screen mothers emerged. Fun loving, loud and witty — these Punjabi moms were a riot.

The millennium saw different kinds of moms invading the screen — the cool mom personified by Ratna Pathak Shah (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na) and Suhasini Mulay (Dil Chahta Hai). They dress stylishly, and are like friends to their offsprings. Supriya Pathak gave a new turn to the filmi mom, with shades of grey in Ram-Leela. Here are a few other actresses, who we would like to see playing maa more on the big screen...

Poonam Dhillon

With her pretty, and innocent face, one wouldn’t expect Poonam Dhillon to play an aggressive mom, but that’s what she did in Ramaiyya Vastavaiyya. “That’s the challenge — to play something I am not. Today’s moms are a reflection of those in real life. Earlier, the concept of working moms in films would be considered negative. Today, there are no strong demarcations. Even the perception has changed.” So, would she play mom to Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt, she smiles, “Why not? It would be nice to play mom to these good looking kids. Alia and my son were classmates.”

Amrita Singh

She resurfaced on screen after a long time in 2 States playing Arjun Kapoor’s mom. She was a delight as the loud, Punjabi mother, and at the same time brought out the pathos in the complex relationship with her husband. We would like to see her on screen more.

Achint Kaur

She is one of the most stylish moms on TV (Jamai Raja). And though she hasn’t played a mom on the big screen, her chirpy 'Shipra maasi' act in 2 States won her rave reviews. The actress too is waiting for a good role to play a mom. “Earlier, films had the quintessential mothers, but now there are different kinds — right from Supriya Pathak in Ram-Leela to Dimple Kapadia in Finding Fanny to Revathy in Margarita With A Straw — they were all amazing. I would love to play an interesting mom, but since I am doing TV filmmakers assume I am too busy for films.”

Simone Singh

Sophisticated and stylish with a dark past, Simone Singh’s turn as Sakshi Goenka, the mother of Vatsal Sheth in the serial Ek Hasina Thi floored us. She was a doting mother alright, only she inadvertently encouraged her son to lead a dark life by condoning his sins. Positive or negative, she would definitely make an attractive mom for the GenNext actors. And she has no qualms playing one in films either. Says Simone, “An actor should be ready to play any role as long as it is substantial and interesting. In Ek Hasina Thi, I was the central antagonist, an ambitious and successful businesswoman whose dark past catches up with her. I look at the different aspects of the character and also see if the project is viable before taking it up.”

Padmini Kolhapure

She played mom to Shahid Kapoor in Phata Poster Nikhla Hero and though that was a throwback to the ’80 mom — loving and self-righteous — one would like to see the actress as a contemporary one. Especially to her niece Shraddha Kapoor! What kind of mom would she want to play to her niece? “I am a strict maasi, so I will be a loving mom. Just kidding! Both of us have to have strong parts,” says Padmini. As for playing an on-screen mom, she adds, “The character has to be substantial and touch my heart. The entire setup is also important. I would love to play a mom with grey shades. People have this image of me being goody-goody. It is important for an actor to reinvent oneself. These days women have strong characters and sensibilities resonate much more with the audiences.”

Indira Krishnan

She had a brief role as Sonakshi Sinha’s mother in Holiday, but on TV, Indira Krishnan had a serial Krishnaben Khakhrawala revolving around her. She played a 45-year-old woman, an ideal mother who starts a khakra business to make ends meet after her husband’s death. More recently, she was seen as the modern, sensitive, playful mom in a biscuit commercial where-in her grown-up daughter is going to a hostel angrily. She keeps asking her mom (Indira), if she will miss her to which she keeps saying no, but when the girl reaches the hostel, she finds her favourite biscuit packet along with a loving note from her mom. “That was a lovely, well-shot ad. I would love to play the kind of mom Revathy played in Margarita With A Straw or 2 States (simple and real). My problem is lack of visibility. I am waiting for a good opportunity.”

Kiran Sippy

Her loud, cheerful act as a Punjabi mom to Kareena Kapoor in Jab We Met was a big hit after which she got similar roles till she decided to give it a break. “I got stuck with doing Punju moms and I got fed up. I would love to play a politician mom, a Bihari mom, or from another caste and creed. However, I don’t think the roles for mothers have changed much. It’s the same as always — sometimes scenes are important and get noticed. If I see a spark in them I do it,” says the actress who loved her down-to-earth but quirky character in Khosla Ka Ghosla.

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