I am sure many would have written reviews on this movie “15 Park Avenue” and so would have identified many a point that Aparna Sen wanted to communicate to the human society at large. I was particularly inspired by the review by Mr. Jaideep Khanduja on the above movie. I basically agree with all the points put forward by him. This particular review of mine highlights the characters Anjali (Shabana) and Mother (Waheeda Rehman).
Both these characters in the story have a special mention for mother’s day, especially Anjali (Shabana) the unconventional mother. The storyline shows the two characters though very different but very much a part of today’s struggling woman doing their best for the members of the family. The mother of Mithali (Konkana) is totally devastated with her child and is trying to do her best despite the fact she is totally oblivious of her daughter’s problem.
The character Anjali (Shabana) is very interesting and hence would like to focus on it for the benefit of MS readers. Despite the rigmarole of a career, her personal life and other pressures around her, she has been able to take charge of her sister Mithali, a schizophrenic. She takes the pain to understand her sister’s dormant schizophrenia and realizes the need to provide the necessary treatment. The shattering aspects of the disease disclosed to her also don’t much matter, but her little sister’s recovery mattered the most to her. Despite being a stressed individual, unlike her brother Mahesh, Anjali sees reason and point in taking care of her sister and in fact sacrifices many chances that would see her at the top of her career. Anjali’s love for her step sister and care for her widowed step mother is really the centre point of the story as I see it. Of course, Mithali does make the story effective, but Anjali’s sacrifice and devotion to the family makes it all the more interesting and a topic for discussion among MS readers especially on the occasion of Mother’s Day.
Why Do I see a Mother in Anjali? Yes she is a mother and it is only that kind of love and attachment that can take an individual to a level where she is able to sacrifice her personal life and stifle her desires to accomplish. Despite being a step sister, forcing herself to take the responsibility of her sister and mother is nothing less than being a Godmother to that little girl Mithali who lived in a world of her own imagination. Qualities like these in women identify their inherent spirit of motherhood. Some do it knowingly and some like Anjali do not have the faintest of ideas that they are women with an exceptional quality of being a mother to a girl totally lost in her world of delusion.
Doing something for your own child and sacrificing oneself is the quality of a mother. A woman with qualities like Anjali’s makes a difference to this entire creation.