Motherhood is the mightiest stroke of women. These are times of fertility centres,test tube babies and surrogate mothers. Women can easily have access to motherhood and still be loving and lovable mothers. However, until the end of last millennium, the craving for motherhood was natural on the part of women, and becoming a mother was the most desired, natural and biological factor of womanhood.
Unlike men, women's adaptability to situations and people, speak of their irresistible charm. But as a mark of contrast, their instinctive love for materials and belongings is of a unique kind, turning its shots at times against themselves, thereby taking away their peace of mind. In fact, many women turn possessive when they become mothers of sons. This fervent desire to own their son,spins in them a deep-rooted fear of losing their sons' love, after their marriage. It is this vulnerable frame of mind in women, that gears the mother-in-law vs daughter-in-law tussle in several homes.
Though Tamil cinema has periodically dealt with this theme of the 'mine own' split between cruel mothers- in-law and divisive daughters-in- law, two films will deeply rest in audience memory, as true narrations of possessive motherhood.The story base of these two films is totally different, because one film deals with the incurable, never parting instinct of a rich woman, who usurps her poor younger sister's son,by offering her money, that the latter direly needs,and the other film narrates the plight of a widowed mother who is exceedingly doting on her only son.
These two films are Annai, that hit the screens in 1962 under the AVM production banner, and Naan Petha Makane, released in 1995.While Annai was directed by the director duo Krishnan Panju, Naan Petha Makane was made by V. Sekar known for his celebrated films Viralukketha Veekam,Varavu Ettana Selavu Pathana,Porandha Veeda Pukundha Veeda and Koodi Vaazhndhaal Kodi Nanmai. The most remembered possessive mothers of these two films are P.Bhanumathi in Annai and Aachi Manorama, in Naan Petha Makane.
P.Bhanumathi as Savithri,who could not afford to be a proud mother of having borne a baby, celebrated her inexorable motherhood, at the cost of the happiness of her younger sister Seetha {Sowcar Janaki} who unduly suffered the deprivation of motherhood due to acute penury. Savithri adopted the child on condition that Seetha should never in the future, make claims over her son. Hence whenever her younger sister visited her home, Savithri felt unnerved and suffered a fear psychosis of losing her adopted son. Later when her adopted son came to know who his real mother was, Savithri became desperate and was terribly bogged down. Slowly with the acceptance of reality that came with the song,(that was sung by P.Bhanumathi herself) which when translated into English would read as,
'Are you said to be a mother?
Is he really your son?
Will you bear another child
And hand it over to the rightful person?"
It was a song that made Savithri understand that her misappropriation of motherhood was unjust and unacceptable. The end of the film showed a redeemed Savithri,with her right perception of what true motherhood means!
Annai became a powerful film with the gripping screenplay of K.S.Gopalakrishnan and dynamic narration of Krishnan Panju. The comedy segment of the film was left to J,B,Chandrababu, whose scintillating song 'Bhuthiyulla Manidharellaam Vetri Kaanbathillai"{All intelligent men do not see success} left indelible impressions in the minds of the audience. Along with P.Bhanumathi,S.V.Renga Rao as her sensible husband and T.S.Muthaiah as the agonized husband of Sowcar Janaki, made Annai an immortal film in the annals of Tamil cinema.
Naan Petha Makane was cast with Manorama,Nizhalkal Ravi,Radhika and Urvasi.Unlike Annai, Naan Petha Makane when translated into English would assertively mean, ''The son whom I bore and delivered''.This family drama emphatically presents the pangs of original motherhood. It is the portrait of Andaal {emotionally played by Manorama} a poor widow, whose only light in her life was her son.This marks the desperate anguish more excruciating,and crucial, with innate anxieties of losing her hopes in the hands of another woman, who might join her son as his life partner. When the possessive mother came to know that her son was in love with a woman advocate called Indra,{Radhika} she halted the love affair with fears of losing her son to an intelligent lawyer.
In due course,Aandal came upon a poor and docile woman called Uma Maheswari{urvasi} who had no parents and was raised by one of her relatives. Aandaal soon decided to bring her home as her daughter-in-law with the fond hope that she would be her dutiful daughter in law, besides being the beloved wife of her son. But after the marriage, each activity of her daughter-in-law made her think that her son was getting closer to his wife than to her. Though she had a lot of concern for her daughter-in-law, it was her controlling grip that led to the successive course of saddening events in the film. After a certain period when the tolerance level of the daughter-in-law broke into pieces, she committed suicide when her mother-in-law was not at home.
Following the suicide of Uma,Aaandal got arrested. Aandal suffered from an acute sense of guilt and compunction. When the matter went to the court, it was Indra,her son's former lover who came to the rescue of Aandal. She argued about the psychological intricacies involved in being a widowed mother, and said that it was the fear of being deprived of the love of her only son and the anxiety of being deserted by her son, that had made Aandal behave so possessively. Indra concluded that Aandaal was in no way responsible for the death of her daughter -in -law. Based on her effective arguments in favour of Aandal, the latter was let off from the case.
However Aandal could not get out of the guilt of having been responsible for the death of an innocent girl.What made the film worthy of a family watch was the way the daily routine between Aandal and Uma was narrated, as they are happening in every family. Manorama and Urvashi excelled in their roles and Radhika's role play was graceful and dignified. As a man caught in between his lovelorn mother and passionate wife Nizhalgal Ravi did complete justice to the role like Gemini Ganesan or Sivakumar who had done similar roles,caught in conflicting situations. The comedy portion of the film went into the hands of Goundamani ,who provided the cathartic element with sense and sensibility.
Both Annai and Naan Petha Makane would ever remain as most remarkable family dramas representing feminine frailty in the form of possessive attributes, eating away the peace of mind of others. Being a mother reflects a state of venerable womanhood. But being a possessive mother is like a pinch of poison in a pot full of plain milk.
The new generation films luckily avoid this most negative characteristic in women by depicting soothing family stories such as Aval Varuvaalaa & Aanandam with the presence of protective mothers in law, and understanding daughters in law. Nevertheless, the element of divisive and ferocious possessiveness of women,has now become the sole subject matter of Television serials, in most Indian languages.
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