All Women Must be Mothers: Indian Cinema’s Role in Shaping the Ideal Woman

Abstract

The “myth” of the good mother remains a powerful influence used by various institutions to  shape women’s aspirations, and this essay explores how Indian Cinema contributes significantly  to the market for this myth. The cinematic portrayal of the mother has evolved, reflecting  changing political motivations in the country. Tracing back to the foundational years of Indian  cinema, the myth was served by gendering the idea of the nation itself. More recently, this  concept applies value judgments concerning women’s agency, whether they are exploring  sexuality or breaking from everyday gender roles. However, the core premise that a good mother  is essentially an ideal woman has consistently prevailed. Borrowing from Sudhir Kakar’s idea of  the “bad mother,” as presented in his work The Inner World: A Psychoanalytical Study of  Childhood and Society in India (1978), this essay explores the evolution of the Mother in Indian  Cinema, demonstrating how she has consistently carried the burden of being valued as “good” in  order to be seen as an ideal woman.