“By the time you realize your mother was right,
you have a daughter who thinks that you’re wrong”
These are the words that rung in my ears as I watched “Tribhanga-tedhi medhi crazy” as soon as it released on Netflix. I had waited with anticipation for this quirky mother-daughter film which had a different take on this infinitely undefinable relationship, where love and hate are two facets to a kinship like no other transmitted from one generation to the other.
The movie begins with an interruption in the stage performance of a famous classical dancer Anuradha Apte (Kajol) due to a sudden call stating her mother has slipped into a coma. At the hospital, while nursing her comatose mother, she was always at odd angles with Milan(Kunal Kapur) who was writing the autobiography of her mother. However little does Milan know that there two sides to the life of the woman he idolizes and once the ice breaks, Anu reveals how her mother’s rise to fame was not quite as exhilarating and how her mother went from “aai” to “Nayantara” for her. Strong-minded, independent and talented writer Nayantara (Sweta Mehendale/Tanvi Azmi) found it extremely difficult to cope with daily life as her work focus, tethered by a delicate thread, was constantly abraded by her nagging mother in law, a busy husband and young children.
This balance between career and personal life shattered and caused her to leave her husband and marital home behind and seek a new life with her children. Her head so stuck in between the pages of her books, she lost touch with the ups and downs in her son’s and daughter’s lives causing them to be more aloof and detached than she had anticipated.
Born from the ashes of neglect, the children take to their own calling and while her son finds peace in religion. her daughter turns into a rebel leading an extremely liberal life and even having her own daughter out of wedlock. The movie progresses to reveal that her daughter Masha(Mithila Palkar) brought up with an extremely open-minded mother craved normalcy and stability for herself and even for her own child. At the death bed of her mother, Anu forgives her for all her shortcomings and realizes she has made a few mistakes of her own.
The entire movie seems like a bandwagon drawn forward by protagonist Kajol who is well supported by the synchronized performance of Kunal Kapur, the mellow and shudh desi writer hovering around their personal lives. Direction and Screenplay by Renuka Shahane are praiseworthy as it captures beautifully the pain, guilt, happiness and strife of each character and at the same time maintaining the humour and entertainment quotient. How every mother tries to do the best for her baby but in some way or the other damages the child’s mind and soul are portrayed with simplicity.
No matter what you do or how careful you are, the society and culture that bind us all together also tend to break our interpersonal bonds. Strong female leads with different agendas and pursuing different dreams are motivating for all women literally suggesting that sky is the limit if one is determined enough.
Being a granddaughter to a lovely grandmom and daughter to an amazing mother, I truly understand the basis of this “tedhi, medhi, crazy” movie that shows how complicated it is to know how we differ in our own ways, yet we are so inherently similar. Love to all the mothers out there who selflessly love their children day after day and until forever.
