Actresses making their presence felt in mother roles

Till sometime back playing mother roles is considered as the end of the acting career for actresses. But of late, actresses are showing their versatility in mother roles.

Srinidhi Shetty will be playing the role of mother of two kids in Venkatesh-Trivikram Srinivas' Aadarsha Kutumbam. Samantha earlier played mother role in Hindi web series Citadel-Honey Bunny and Tamannaah did the same in Aranmanai 4.

Anushka played the pregnant woman in Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty. Director Hemanth Madhukar says "It is true that Tamannaah, who is known for glamorous dance numbers like Kaavaalaa and Aaj Ki Raat, accepted a mother's role in Aranmanai 4 because the character had substance. Similarly, Anushka's role as a pregnant woman in Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty added emotional depth to the film. They are expanding their versatility with meaningful characters."

Producer MS.Raju says "Certain actresses fear losing their glamorous image. Playing the mother of one or two children could make them appear older on screen, affecting opportunities to play romantic leads or pair opposite younger heroes. But that mindset is slowly changing, thanks largely to OTT platforms and audiences accepting well-written characters regardless of age."

MS.Raju added "Shruti Haasan appeared as the mother of a child in Krack. Keerthy Suresh, Shraddha Srinath in Saindhav, and Neha Shetty in Gangs of Godavari have all shown that motherhood is simply another character to portray. More recently, Meenakshi Chaudhary impressed audiences in Lucky Bhaskar while simultaneously playing a romantic lead in Matka. Today's actresses are smart enough to balance varied roles without getting stereotyped."

Priyamani says "Earlier, actresses were worried that playing mothers would define their careers. Today, filmmakers are writing far more layered and interesting female characters. I accepted The Family Man because it was a beautifully written role. That doesn't mean I will only play mothers. I simply choose characters that challenge me as an actor and help me grow."

Hemanth Madhukar adds “When leading heroes have no hesitation in portraying fathers, it is only natural that actresses like Shruti Haasan, Nayanthara, Neha Shetty and now Srinidhi Shetty are equally open to playing mothers if the role is meaningful.”

- Pramod Nandivada