Mai

Story: A son is a son 'til he gets a wife, but a daughter is a daughter all her life...this age-old saying pretty much sums up the movie.

Movie Review: Mai (mother in Marathi) happens to be the film debut of India's legendary singer Asha Bhosle and she impresses you with her acting ability too! As a mother who single handedly raises her four children and then gets abandoned by them in her old age, her performance is heartrending. She proves indeed that age is just a number. While her performance is a highlight of the film, the subject is clichéd. Bollywood has made umpteen movies revolving around helpless parents and their ungrateful, insensitive children. Mai however has its moments when it comes to showing the mother-daughter bond.

Mai (Asha Bhosle) is abandoned by her son Munna after he decides to shift to the US. Eldest daughter Madhu (Padmini Kolhapure) does not shrug off her responsibility for her ailing mother, like her siblings, in spite of being opposed by her journalist husband (Ram Kapoor). Madhu's teenage daughter and husband claim that they need space. Madhu ignores their displeasure and gets Mai, who is also suffering from Alzheimer's, home.

The film tries too hard to be tragic. There was no need for the story to be so melodramatic. Ram Kapoor misbehaving and sulking owing to his mother-in-law staying in his house seems illogical. Why does he have a change of heart later is equally appalling. Few scenes seem equally unnecessary.

Padmini Kolhapure is effective but doesn't have a well defined role. Her daughter's character seems to be written on the lines of Sridevi's ill-mannered daughter in English Vinglish. Songs are unnecessary obstacles that add to the length, except for the lullaby Chanda Ki Bindiya, which is sung beautifully by Asha tai herself. Ram Kapoor acts well. Anupam Kher shows what a good actor is, even in the few scenes he appears in.

Scenes which show Madhu taking care of her mother like a child leave you teary-eyed. We wish this aspect was given prominence. Supporting characters and their woes prove to be a distraction. The modest production values don't help either. Cinematography is weak with most scenes looking hazy and out of focus.

Asha Bhosle slips into the role of Mai effortlessly. We wish the story had something new to offer though.