Mother India Film Analysis

In India, a mother holds a high place in their culture. In society, the mother is supposed to be nurturing and self-sacrificing. During the 19th century, women are seen to be suffering and silent. The sons are expected to take care and protect their mothers. In the film, “Radha is the devoted daughter-in-law, the uncomplaining wife, and the protective mother” (Rajan, 105). Mother India serves as a symbolic representation of a mother that made sacrifices and had self-respect.

Mother India is a melodrama film that tells the story of poor village woman named Radha. She is a woman who is depicted as hero, who refuses to accept modernizations’, tragedies, and temptations while raising her children alone and keeping ownership of her husband’s land. In the film, Birju kidnaps the daughter of the moneylender out of revenge. Radha in this scene must choose between motherhood and honour. This film shows that a women’s honour goes past the life of woman’s child. This movie questioned “If a mother could sacrifice her own child?”

While,working the husband loses his arms after a boulder accident. Due to him losing his arms, the husband filled with helplessness because he cannot provide for the family leaves. Radha now not depending on her husband must take care of her sons on her own while taking care of the land. She must now cultivate the crops which are a man’s role in the community. Radha must do this job because of the occurrences of her husband leaving. Chakravarty states “as a mother she fiercely protects and supports her offspring, and as a peasant she battles fire to make the earth yield a rich harvest”. Radha a woman whose had great hardships such as devastation due to the flood, famine, and a moneylender after her she still retained her self-respect and her moral