Bengali films that explored the theme of a mother-son relationship

‘Mother’ – the very first thing that pops into our mind when we come across the word is the endless affection and support we enjoy when she is around. While fathers can teach their children the difference between right and wrong, a mother always ensures that the child stays on the right path. We have so many Bengali movies where the mother stands for the epitome of righteousness and love for her son. Here is a list of five must-watch Bengali films that showcase a powerful bond between a mother and her son.

The story revolves around an insurance agent Manas, his high tempered wife Mamata and son Soumik. Mamata can’t accept her husband's mediocre status as she dreams of bringing up her son with a positive approach towards life. But, Soumik starts rebelling against his mother's one-sided decisions and sere dominance. At the age of 16, Soumik falls for his first crush. But his hawk-eyed mother can’t accept this relationship as she is sceptical about the girl's nature and feels she will destroy her son’s life one day. Mamata gears up to break up their relationship by also trying to win over her son's attention and affection. The emotional climax of the film shows Mamata holding Soumik's toys and medals and recollecting fond childhood memories. The plot establishes how as a mother she failed to accept that her son has grown up and had a personal life.

'Open Tee Bioscope' is worth a watch if you grew up in Kolkata during the 80's and 90's. It is not a film, rather some sort of time travel that takes you back to your sweet childhood days. The story sees Fowara (Riddhi Sen) returning to his north Kolkata home after he was expelled from the school hostel, only to make new friends and enjoy the sweetest time of his life. But life eventually turns on its head following a series of incidents, only to get back into groove towards the end. Above all, this film beautifully explores the troubled relationship between a teenage boy and his single mother. Sudiptaa Chakraborty as Fowara’s mother delivered one of her best performances till date.

'Khaad' starts with a group of passengers stranded in North Bengal due to a strike. A priest offers them a bus ride, but the driver loses control of the bus and it falls off a cliff, leaving the passengers stranded once again, this time in the middle of nowhere. The characterisation and acting are superb with Kaushik Ganguly playing an anguished son brooding over his mother’s (Lily Chakravarty) terminal disease. The mother-son relation portrayed here, somehow, provides the universal image. The expressions and dialogues between Kaushik Ganguly and Lily Chakravarty will surely make you nostalgic apart from being relatable.

The unique bonding between a grandkid and his/her grandparents is something on a different level. That’s what Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee’s ‘Posto’ teaches us. Soumitra Chatterjee and Lily Chakraborty as the grandparents, Mimi Chakraborty as the high tempered mother to little Arghya Basu Roy (Posto) gave stellar performances. Jisshu Sengupta, portraying the alcoholic and struggling painter who tries to be a good son and a good father at the same time, steals the show but this film also showed the difficulties a mother faces these days to establish a bond with her son, especially if you are a working lady and have your own agenda in life.

‘Haami’ centres on the burning issues that plague the younger generation today. Directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, it shows how minor issues are often blown up by overly concerned parents and suspicious school authorities. An innocent kiss between two kids fuels a whirlwind of controversies which reflect recent disturbing incidents in schools. Gargi Rowchoudhury plays cute little Bhutu’s mother, a woman who seems to be a live wire, and aggressively protective about her family. She is even fearless in proving her rights. It’s a brilliantly written character, and the actress just excelled in playing the part. Her diluted expressions, witty dialogues, funny antics; portray the ultimate middle-class mother in a simple way.