Mom (I) (2017) User Reviews (96)

In fond memory of Sridevi, a powerhouse actress in her screen farewell

[Peter_Young · 7/10 · 3 March 2018]

Words could not express the shock and disbelief that I felt upon hearing the sad news of Sridevi's sudden and untimely demise. It's still hard to believe that this beautiful woman, who was only 54, looked so much younger, and whose graceful presence and impeccable talent have been an integral part in the lives of so many lovers of Indian cinema, is no more. That's what made me watch this movie right away. We had planned to see the film before; little did we imagine that it would inevitably become her last film which would be watched after her passing.

Mom is a very nice thriller, very well thought of, written and directed. It's a little too dramatic at some points, but everything is within context and is not overblown. There's no need to give away any sort of details about the story and the proceedings, but one thing, as expected, remains its central force, and it is of course Sridevi herself, and her astounding performance. Sridevi had a vast career graph, with films in many languages, among which sadly not many were great masterworks. Her extraordinary, intense acting talent had always transcended the quality of any film she was in, however, and Mom, while a very good film in and of itself, is no exception in this regard. Her Devki is an amazing portrait of quiet determination and exhilarating strength. Just see the scene when Devki is notified of her daughter having been raped. This act brings back, just for one moment, the uninhibited, trademark Sridevi style that people love to see and probably not expected in an otherwise restrained portrayal. Her full-outburst reaction shows, for the umpteenth time in the career of this gifted actress, her ability to perform the most difficult scenes with ease, full authenticity, and the most alarmingly intense levels of expression. The great thing about this performance, however, is that it is not just a performance of great moments - her overall character development is the great moment itself, and her presence alone speaks volumes. She is real, genuine, and plays the most basic and casual bits with amazing depth and conviction, which never take away from her cinematic appeal. She was a true master of her craft in terms of commanding the attention of her audience at any point.

Twenty years ago, Sridevi, who had by then long been arguably one of the most hard-working and prolific actresses in India, retired from films to devote herself to her family and to being a mom. It's so ironic that her last, full-fledged film appearance ended up being this film, simply titled Mom. It's a little comforting that her screen farewell is such a nice film. This, along with her previous venture, English Vinglish, are the two ultimate, memorable goodbye presents Sridevi gifted her fans with before leaving, just to seal the illustrious list of films in her impressive career. Long live Sridevi, may her remarkable legacy in cinematic history live on forever in the hearts of anyone who loves films and appreciates true acting talent.

mom is not a word its an emotion best of 2017

[rkap121121 · 8/10 · 14 July 2017]

Mom is not just a word it's an emotion and this movie was successful in portraying the extent to which a mom can go to save her child....Movie is bit intellectual,dark but emotional and u can't blink throughout....Sridevi is outstanding and her performance is soul touching....Nawaz and Akshay Khanna r adequate and lend a good support...Hope people will watch such movies instead of trashes coming out every week....Overall this movie is a must watch and eye opener for everyone....It's a no nonsense movie unlike those movies in which one hero fights with ton of villain....Final word awesometacular👍👍👍10/10

Sridevi Returns with a Powerful, Devastating Performance

[akbarnali · 8/10 · 27 July 2017]

Bollywood has a problem. And that problem's name is 'Sridevi'.

Gone (mercifully) are the days when actresses over the age of 40 were automatically relegated to matronly roles (see Nutan, Rakhee, Farida Jalal, and even Rekha and Dimple for proof of this). We're lucky enough to live in an age when many actresses over a certain age abound in modern Hindi cinema: apart from Sri herself in Mom, we recently saw Manisha Koirala (Dear Maya), Raveena Tandon (Maatr), Kajol (Dilwale), Juhi Chawla (Chalk n Duster), Aishwariya Rai (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) and Tabu (Fitoor) taking center stage in major films, all playing roles that required them to do more than serve as mother figures to younger protagonists. Credit this to expanding mindset of an audience that has gradually woken up to the fact that women are interesting (and, indeed, desirable) outside the customary Bollywood sphere of commercial romance.

So what's the problem? The problem is that Sridevi has outgrown Bollywood. Arguably the greatest actor of her generation (and certainly a far more potent performer than the would-be usurpers who followed her), Sridevi has come to be regarded by the media and masses alike as "The Indian Meryl Streep". Which, though she may be, is secondary to the fact that she is "The Indian Sridevi". India has not witnessed an actor as complete and transformational as Sridevi since the dawn of cinema – so it makes sense that in the wake of her career as a mainstream leading lady, Bollywood is forced to confront a quandary unlike any other it's faced in the past.

Having outgrown the usual romantic roles of her repertoire in the '80s and '90s (her last of which was her bewitching turn as the shrewish virago in Judaai), Bollywood now has the dilemma of trying to figure out what to do with a talent the size and scope of Sridevi's (hint: it has no clue). Asking Sridevi to play "the mother" or "some generic older female relative" is like asking Picasso to paint a wall: you do not – indeed, cannot – ask a genius to perform the mundane. We know what she is capable of; hers is a talent whose full potential can never be tapped (I'm quoting Shekhar Kapur here). What, then, is an industry built around the trope of 20-something romantic musicals to do with an actor like Sridevi?

Sridevi is intelligent enough about her artistry to know that audiences will not accept her in the same mould of the past. She isn't the comic sprite of Chaalbaaz or Mr. India anymore – nor does she insist that she be treated as such. This is something megastar actors seem to have trouble accepting: remember Amitabh's disastrous re-entry into Bollywood as a leading/angry young man with "Mrityudaata"? Madhuri Dixit would also do well to learn this lesson given that she continues to insist that she be featured in song-n-dance roles (and now dance- themed television shows) which don't go over particularly well with either critics or audiences.

Which brings us to 'Mom'.

Bollywood is obsessed with rape. It's a trope that the Largest Film Industry in the World has relied upon quite steadily since the early 80s when every hero from Mithun Chakraborty to Amitabh Bachchan to Govinda regularly avenged the rapes (or would-be rapes) of his sister/daughter/and even mother. Leading men even play "hero" rapists from time to time: remember Anil Kapoor playing an unrepentant rapist in Benaam Badshah who is only tamed (incredulously) by the love of his victim (Juhi Chawla)? Things got (marginally) better when the same Anil Kapoor offered to marry a rape victim (Aishwarya Rai) when she was forced to consider marrying her rapist (Puru Raj Kumar) in Hamara Dil Aap Ke Paas Hai. Progress? Well, okay.

Mom – which follows a stepmother's journey to avenge the gang rape of her stepdaughter - has summarily been compared to the standard '80s Bollywood potboiler in which the (male) hero restores the dignity of his beloved by killing off her rapists. Ravi Udyawar's directorial debut certainly has this trope at its center, but the film reminded me in many ways of Sridevi's 1996 film Army, in which she plays a widow seeking to avenge the murder of her young husband (Shah Rukh Khan). Mom is a far, far superior film to Army, but the resemblance between the story lines is difficult to ignore. Sridevi was pure arresting melodrama in Army (as only she can pull off – remember the brilliant scene in which her pregnancy was revealed?) and holds a more nuanced yet bitter tone in Mom. But in Mom she's also an army of one, choosing to go it alone when the law lets her down and even a good cop named Francis (Akshaye Khanna) seems eager to thwart her maternal yearning for justice.

Yes, Sridevi's performance is devastating and brilliant, but even more than that, this is a performance which is agonizing to witness. She summons not only the tentative love of an unwanted stepmother, but brings to the surface the burden of a raw, all-consuming pain of a parent drowning in her child's misery. Much has been said about Devki's quest for revenge, but almost nothing is mentioned about the quiet moments of steeliness and stillness which punctuate Sridevi's performance throughout the film.

Watch, for example, the many scenes between Sridevi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Daya Shankar, the detective). She expertly conveys the resigned feelings of an unwanted quest, of a heroine in search of a destination she never wanted to seek out. Revenge is not something to be celebrated, her body language tells us, but it is (in some scenarios, it seems) the only path to resolution. She asks her cohorts on one occasion: if you must choose between wrong and very wrong, which will you choose? She will emerge victorious, we know from the outset; but she is also already defeated.

watch it for Nawaz and Sridevi

[pancholi-kota · 6/10 · 12 November 2017]

If u give nawazuddin Siddique an opportunity to be on the screen,he wud somehow leave behind his footprints on the sands of time.Howsoever underdeveloped or flat the role might be,with Nawaz,u know he gonna create magic.He plays a PD in this film who aids and abets Sridevi as she seeks revenge on the rapists of her daughter.Semi-bald,sporting sports shoes,driving a scooter,offering unsolicited help and all the while mouthing Jai Bhole nath,Nawaz is the best part of the film.

The film follows the usual script-a stepmom,a rape and honourable acquittal from the court.Then the stepmom seeks vengeance and in comes the PD.A conscientious cop sniffs vigilantism,but sadly akshaye Khanna doesn't have a meaty role here.This guy is really a mystery.He has quite a bit of talent but is not willing to sweat it out.He must have his reasons. The film is watchable because of sridevi.She still has the charisma to pull a film on her shoulders.I didn't find the film boring,but its not one of the best Hindi films of the year either.

Exceptional Siridevi

[kpanesar-49339 · 10/10 · 31 August 2020]

I watched this film last night, it was brilliant. Very sad to find out that the main actress has died. The story of rape and revenge. The justice system lets the victim down, its very sad but happens all to often in real life, (as I went through this sort of thing with my own daughter a few years ago, luckily justice was done in my case. ) The story follows the family of the victim, how they handle the fall out of their child being raped,and how the mother goes out to get her own justice. The film is brilliantly directed, the acting is good in all parts. Although I think that a woman going out and seeking vengeance is not a thing that happens in reality, or would happen. But it shows the length a mother or parent might go to seek justice for their child. Very subtly filmed- where you know the girl is being assaulted but they don't show it. Once again this is a very good film, with great acting.

Good movie in a time where Bollywood movies are like a blinking Tubelight

[amit1717 · 7/10 · 8 July 2017]

A very stimulating movie which includes an used plot and borrows certain elements from older and more recent movies like 'Pink' and 'Jazbaa', but still manages to make an impact.

Another movie which focuses on how the women in our country are really unsafe, and the state of law in the country where people can really get away with such serious crimes. Though the movie tends to focus more on the revenge than the trial, unlike 'Pink' whose chief focus was on the trial. The first half is moving and can even be slightly disturbing, but the second half loses grip and becomes slightly obvious.

In terms of performance, all the actors are pretty impressive. Sridevi and Nawazuddin make an impact. Sajal ali, as the daughter and the rape victim, was believable. Akshaye khanna, as the cop, was gritty and maybe he should have received more screen time. Adnan siddiqui as the dad wasn't up to the mark and perhaps the writers didn't do enough justice to his character.

The downside of the movie is that there are no twists and turns and the plot is pretty straightforward, and sometimes becomes a bit too predictable, which does not do justice to its 'thriller' tag.

Overall rating : 7/10.

Gripping and very watchable

[indianature · 9/10 · 2 October 2017]

I saw MOM last week when it premiered on TV.

The story was good, cinematography likewise. The plot held the attention throughout and in fact kept me on the edge of my seat towards the climax.

The victim step daughter acted very well. Sridevi was her usual brilliant self, she really should act in more films ... she is even better now than in her days of superstardom. Nawazuddin was good, from the promos and reviews I thought he had a bigger role but it is not so. This movie was almost entirely Mom's.

Very watchable and gripping.

Great revenge thriller.

[talatshah · 7/10 · 28 January 2021]

Very good revenge thriller. Good Acting. Sensitive subject. Overall a nice movie.

SRIDEVI : Queen of Acting

[sakshamsingh419 · 10/10 · 6 March 2018]

I am giving a perfect score just for effortless and brilliant acting by Sridevi. She is a master of her craft and a school in herself. Just look at the scene where she is informed about her daughter. The way she expressed her emotions can't be matched by any other actress today. Even the scenes where there aren't any dialogues, you can see the minor subtleties in her expression which is so rare. It is so sad that she left us so early at such a young age. RIP Sridevi.

Watchable....

[MaverickV · 6/10 · 24 February 2021]

I watched it because of Sridevi and she doesn't disappoint. Another great acting and she did justice to her role.

But what as a 21st century man I would like to see (and it is sincerely HIGH time) that the girl should FIGHT back herself. SHe is NOT a Victim, stop treating her like one...She can surely cry, feel sad and can ask the question WHY her?, but soon should stand up and be bold like new world women and respond accordingly. If they could have shown that the mother-daughter duo bring the culprits to justice, even with some vigilantism that would have been a much better storyline and movie

Lets move on with age old nonsense of Abla Naari !

Intelligent. Intense. Incredible

[Vikram19867 · 10/10 · 16 July 2017]

This is a comeback of sorts for actress Sridevi (Not that she needs one), appearing in a major feature after 5 years since 'English Vinglish' in 2012. And what an incredible performance it is!

MOM is a powerful revenge tale of a Mother whose stepdaughter gets gang raped at a party is left half-dead. When the law fails to provide justice, the mother avenges her daughter's rape by exacting her brutal schemes on the 4 perpetrators who walk Scott-free, with the help of a freelance detective, played incredibly well by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. When her revenge is complete and her daughter witnesses her mother's intense love for her, she truly understands to what lengths her mom has gone for her.

Sridevi, the lead, is so good as a mother who has witnessed her daughter's brutal attack, that you feel every emotion she undergoes, that any mother in her place would. She deserves an award for this.

Ravi Udyawar's directing is brilliant, precise, and sets a ruthless pace for the film. The camera never loses focus of the protagonist and her relentless pursuit for payback. Anay Goswami's cinematography will put you in the middle of the action. And a special mention for the extraordinary sound department work. From uplifting sounds, to certain very dark moments filled with eerie atmospheric bass, that will linger on in your head for a very long time, they got it spot on. Kudos.

MOM is a upfront revenge tale of a mother who unleashes her wrath upon injustice and crippled laws. Not many movies in India are as bold in portraying such subjects. This one is just plain fantastic. It will show you that a mother's love for her daughter knows no bounds.

One of the best movies of 2017. Highly recommended.

Mom (2017)

[santhosh-10290 · 7/10 · 21 March 2018]

The movie was so good. Sridevi and everybody acted very well in the movie. Songs were not good but BGM in the movie was so good. The movie was so interesting and thrilling. But the movie has some logic mistakes and there were some vulgar scenes. But the movie was so good.

Really illogical

[abhilashchaudhury · 4/10 · 13 November 2018]

Many incidents are illogical in this movie...and few things are there which cannot happen in real life

Mom is Atrocious and for the most part a horrifying yet riveting film!

[socialvmobi · 6/10 · 12 July 2017]

Sridevi-starrer Mom is atrocious and for the most part a horrifying yet riveting film. The film deals with the horror and trauma a rape victim experiences and the debutant director Ravi Udyawar. Devki Sabarwal (Sridevi) is a high school teacher who is trying to win her over step daughter Arya, who doesn't quite warm up to her as the memories of Arya's biological mother still haunt the 18 year old. Unique cite for A R Rahman's music, the background score is like an additional principal character in the movie, keeps you at the edge of your seat. Watch latest bollywood updates on getfirstcut.

A Good Movie

[kashifsaleem-21036 · 8/10 · 9 April 2018]

Very nice effort by director Ravi Udyawar. It is one of the most sensitive and realistic Hindi movies that I have seen in a long time. Almost all the actors have done justice to there roles. Sridevi as we all know was an amazing actress and she did an excellent job once again. Nawazuddin appeared in a cameo all did very well, but the most impressive of the lot was Sajal Ali, she was exceptional with her expressions sometime she did not even speak but her eyes tells the pain and anger that she was going through. Adnan Siddiqui also was impressive.

Totally predictable and nothing much to write about.

[tlrg-legend · 7/10 · 25 September 2017]

The daughter getting sexually assaulted and the simple domesticated mom getting into a vendetta mode to eliminate the tormentors one by one forms the basic plot. Not exactly a script one finds exciting though the unfolding is fairly engaging and one finds it interesting. Totally predictable and nothing much to write about.

Excellent Movie. Must watch.

[biswarupkkr · 9/10 · 18 July 2017]

Sridevi's acting was tremendous in MOM. She just nailed it with her performance. Nawazuddin Siddiqui also did great acting. He just transformed himself. Others (including Akshay Khanna and Sajal ALi) did their job very well. A good screenplay and story makes the movie attractive. The second half of the movie is brilliant. The way by which Sridevi takes revenge is totally different and is awesome. This movie excellently captures the motherly love . So a must watch for everyone who loves his/her mother

Anti Male, Overly Dramatic, Twisted & Slyly Crafted Feminist Propaganda!

[r_mantra_r · 9 October 2017]

The feminazi takeover of Bollywood continues with it's anti male, feminist propaganda, this time churned out by Boney Kapoor & Zee Studios.

Following the likes of 'Pink' & Hollywood's 'I Spit On Your Grave', another slyly crafted feminist film, with overly dramatic performances by Sridevi & Sajal Ali.

The script is terribly twisted, advocating male castration, murder & violence among other crimes.

Double standard exists within the plot, as a group of young men have committed a gang rape, however the film comes to an abrupt end failing to address the outcome of other heinous revenge crimes being committed throughout the second half by lead character Sridevi under the pretense of a 'mother's love' all while seeking validation of her spouse's daughter who is not her own biological offspring.

A scene is also shot where Akshaye Khanna's character (main cop) gets put off the case by his senior because the second suspect in the case (Sridevi) happened to be a female.

Yet another film where men are prosecuted for committing crimes, but if you are a woman, you get to commit crimes and walk away scott free!

Nothing special about Sridevi's performance here other than her resurgence making great marketing for the film subtlety pushing it's feminazi propaganda. Something not new to many of her casted roles since the 80s.

Akshaye Khanna's comeback performance is refreshing. He is casted well along Nawazuddin Siddiqui whose character, given his acting talents, could have been given better depth, however ends up being mediorce, as comedy did not seem to not be working within the overall theme of the film.

Pathetic music by India's once musical genius of the 90's A.R. Rahman. To compare to Hans Zimmer here is ludicrous!

Writer Girish Kohli seems to be an atheist or spiritually ignorant, since tagline for the film reads: 'God could not be everywhere, so he created MOM'. How blasphemous a statement! The script also contains skewed feminist views surrounding character 'Draupadi' of Hindu mythological text Mahabharat. Not forgetting the transgender character casted to appease feminists, LBGT & Gays.

The notable strong aspects of the film however remain in its technical aspects being its cinematography, editing & direction which are all well done.

Wow.. to the 3 mains..!!

[sandeepmalhi-05856 · 7/10 · 20 July 2021]

Sridevi, akshaye and Nawaz 10/10.. story is ok.. the girl playing Arya can't act. Otherwise, a good one time watch. Among the mains, it's hard to say who was the best, sridevi was of course given the meatiest role, she doesn't waste a second of it. Akshaye and Nawaz are just five star actors..!! Really should have casted a better actress for Arya, of course Sri Devi's daughters can only play main female leads so I'm guessing that's why they didn't do it.

If you're stupid, that last line was sarcastic..

Also, akshaye despite being a son of a legend.. is one of the country's most powerful performers. He excels in such roles that demand a lot of intensity. Who said star kids can't act? He's better than most of the filmfare/national award winners..

Sridevi was too good. Worthy of the national award. Funny she didn't win the filmfare tho.. then again, most people know the integrity of the awards anyways.. among the many movies of hers I remember watching, I think this was the best performance she ever gave.

The revenge theme is becoming repetitive but Mom shouldn't is one of the better ones

[dexter_greycells · 8/10 · 9 July 2017]

This movie does not have a suspense hook but I will still declare a SPOILER ALERT.

Wazir, Teen, Madaari, Pink, Jolly LLB 2 and Kaabil - 2016 and 2017 have been big on movies hinging on revenge/justice as a central theme, either through legal means or outside the law. From all of the above movies, Mom comes closest to Kaabil on the basis of its plot. However, it is still an excellent watch all by itself. Sridevi's acting is really impressive. Akshaye Khanna is really dashing (even today). You wonder why you don't see the two of them as as much nowadays. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is eccentric yet hilarious. Some parts of the movie may be painful to watch for parents or victims of abuse as physical abuse. I winced more than once.

Mom - A Film For Youth And Parents!

[Rahul143125 · 7/10 · 7 July 2017]

1. SUMMARY: Devki Sabarwal (Sridevi), a biology teacher, who lives a happy life with her husband Anand (Adnan Siddiqui) and two daughters. Her elder daughter Arya (Sajal Khan) goes to a party late night and ends up getting raped and thrown besides a road by her classmate who loves her, his brother, a watchman and Jagan (Abhimanyu Singh). Arya now is hospitalized. After few days, Arya gives her statement and all the culprits are sued to the court. Judge doesn't find enough evidence to prove them guilty and leaves them. Thus, Law and force both fail to let Devki get justice. Devki gets in contact with DK(Nawaz), a detective. He gives Devki an information to assassinate them. Thus, Devki tries to seek revenge from them. Will she accomplish her task or no?

2. STORY AND SCRIPT: Film's script and story is penned by Ravi Udyawar, Kona Venkat Rao, and Girish Kohli is good, but the film's climax could have been improvised.

3. PERFORMANCES: Sridevi's performance is worth a watch. Nawaz and Akshaye's performance is nice.

4. DIRECTION AND OTHER TECHNICAL ASPECTS: Direction by Ravi Udyawar is good, he has depicted the film very well. Music, Cinematography, and Editing is also good.

5. BOX - OFFICE VERDICT: Made on a budget of 400 million, this film has chances of recovering it's budget.

6. RATING: Because of the film's good screenplay and direction, I'll give it 3/4.

Adorable and sad at the same time ...

[RosanaBotafogo · 9/10 · 8 January 2021]

The accursed culture of rape rooted in our society, or rather in humanity, shameful and unacceptable, especially in India, a great Bollywood production, a plot of mystery and revenge as a backdrop for a delicate and abominable theme, very tied up, simple , captivating and contagious ... Adorable and sad at the same time ...

Mom gets 10 writers get 4 = 6

[onelovek · 6/10 · 31 December 2019]

First off, RIP Sridevi (Mom) you did well in this film. The first 90 mins was great and it is an emotional ride especially in the first half of the movie. However, the last 48 minutes was a let down because this could have been great. Overall the movie is powerful and has a bigger meaning especially what's going on in India today. I just wish it ended strong, it is still a good watch but the writers blew the last quarter of the movie.

Predictable and sends a wrong message

[sunny-jindl2 · 4/10 · 3 September 2018]

Mom is predicatable from the word go. There have been too many revenge for rape of a relative movie to count. Brother, father, husband, blind husband, friends have avenged so far and now it's the turn of a step mom. It's not realistic and feels empty. It's not an awareness movie as there is hardly anyone who has not read headlines or heard commentator scream it out on the news channels. There is nothing new on offer. The message however seems that if courts dont do justice, vigilante justice is the only way out. Which is a wrong message to send out. Vigilante sometimes poor at judging situations might harm the wrong person or themselves, thus harming the victim furthermore. Ankush was a great movie in this genre made almost 30 years ago. The message there was that eye for eye justice will leave the whole town blind. The movie exploits emotional points as much they can, long hospital sequences are there for you to immerse and not question the script.

Sri Devi Steals the Spotlight as Mom

[NerdyBirdie · 7/10 · 29 July 2017]

I think what makes Mom a little different from other films about gaining justice is the gray character of Devki and how far she's willing to go to make sure it happens.

The premise is quite clear and Devki remains to be a consistent character throughout the story. I would say that Akshaye Khanna and Nawazuddin Siddiqui are good characters to the story and complement her well. However I still wished they had a little more screen time. Most of their appearances were just meant to bring out more of Devki's character.

The small amount of screen time that Sajal Ali had as Arya was enough to see that Arya was a pretty heart wrenching character. It was disappointing that she wasn't given more screen time because a lot of character growth could've been explored.

I would recommend this movie for Sri Devi's great performance as a determined mother willing to go to any lengths to gain justice. The songs weren't notable and the character of Devki tends to outshine the other characters in this movie.