Mom Tane Nai Samjay Movie Review : A simple yet impactful film with strong performances

Story: While her husband is preoccupied with his profession, a dedicated mother gives up her career to raise her children. Being ignored and disrespected every day, she leaves them all and supports students in need of ‘mom.’ Her absence makes them realise her importance. The Mehta family, residing in London, is a well-to-do family leading a lavish life. Aashka, a loving wife and devoted mother, is concerned about her “Mom, we are grown up” children and the wrong path they are choosing in their lives. With negligible support from her husband, Kunal, she tries to stop them and bring them on track, which her children and husband consider as “constant nagging”. Tired of being humiliated, undervalued, and insulted by all three of them, Aashka takes a difficult step and moves out of the house to take care of some people who need a ‘mom’. How her family realises her worth after she leaves, and how they try to bring her back, is what the film is about.

Review: Directed by Dharmessh Mehta, who also directed Pappa Tamne Nahi Samjaay, the film captures regular everyday lives and reflects the words which most of us would have told our moms at some point. With powerful dialogues such as ‘E loko mate akhi duniya che, pan mari toh duniya eloko j che’ and many others, Radheshyam, the film’s writer, manages to touch hearts.

Music by Sachin-Jigar and lyrics by Bhargav Purohit give emotional scenes a soulful touch, and the song Fariyaad, portraying Aashka’s journey of helplessness, is apt. The film also nicely captures the beauty of London.

Amar Upadhyay, one of television’s favourite stars, does justice to his role as Kunal, playing a carefree husband in the first half and then a changed husband who realises his mistakes in the second half. Rashami Desai, who returns to Gujarati films, does a splendid job as Aashka. From letting her eyes showcase unspoken emotions to delivering heartfelt dialogues, she manages to portray the emotions of a mother effectively, resulting in a relatable performance. Virti Vaghani as Meera and Namit Shah as Kabir also come up with convincing performances as Kunal and Aashka’s children, and nicely portray the smooth transition from being spoiled, insulting kids to understanding, respecting children. Tejal Vyas and Hemang Dave manage to tickle your funny bone every time they are on screen. Aaryan Shah, Kandarp Joshi and Vicky Modi uplift the second half of the film with some beautiful, emotional scenes, leaving the audience teary-eyed.

While the first half of the film is a little slow, the dynamics and new angles in the second half make up for it. While the scenes leading the film towards the climax offer an emotional high, a smoother transition of some scenes would probably have been better. It’s a simple yet impactful film. So, take your moms to watch this film, and remember, it's never their dadagiri, it is their momgiri!