Academic Social Research ISSN No. 2456-2645

A MOTHER’S ETERNAL LOVE FOR HER DAUGHTER: MAMTA

Dr. Archana Durgesh, Dr. Pooja Singh & Ms. Pranjali Singh

ABSTRACT Women form about half of the population of the country, but their situation has been grim. For centuries, they have been deliberately denied the opportunities for growth in the name of religion and socio-cultural practices. At the social-political plain, women suffered from the denial of freedom even in their homes, repression and unnatural indoctrination, an unequal and inferior status, rigid caste hierarchy and even untouchability. Religious tradition and social institutions have a deep bearing on the role and status of women. A woman in Indian society has been a victim of humiliation, torture and exploitation. There are many episodes of rape, murder, dowry, burning, wife beating and discrimination in society. Men predominate the Indian society, hence women are a victim of male domination in the respective sphere of life; especially in economic life, over decision making on resources, on the utilization of her earnings and her body. Hence, a woman’s life lies between pleasures at one end and danger at another end. This paper centers on a mother’s sacrifice for her daughter. A mother’s treasure is her daughter and she will love her more than her life same as a daughter loves her mother since the very day she opened her eyes. Whatever the relationship is between a mother and a daughter, there will always be this special bond and layers of happiness that surround them and this relationship sets the stage for all other relationships. Not to forget the special bond between father and daughter that is why we created these she opened her eyes. Whatever the relationship is between a mother and a daughter, there will always be this special bond and layers of happiness that surround them and this relationship sets the stage for all other relationships. Mamta is about a poor girl Devyani () and her jinxed love affair with a wealthy lawyer Mohnish (). After he goes abroad for higher studies, Devyani's father suffers a stroke and needs urgent medical attention. Unfortunately, Mohnish's mother plays spoilsport and surreptitiously drives her to despair whereby she reluctantly agrees to marry a much older businessman Rakhal, as a compromise, for the sake of her father's treatment. But Rakhal turns out to be a habitual drunkard and womaniser, forcing Devyani to not just submit to his lust but also become a nautch girl. After giving birth to a girl, Devyani alias Pannabai resolves to save her daughter from meeting a similar fate and entrusts the young daughter Suparna (Suchitra Sen) into the custody of her lover-turned-barrister Mohnish and he brings her up as his doting daughter. Several years later, when Pannabai is charged with Rakhal's murder and Suparna guns for her prosecution, the relationship and the cause of murder is revealed in court in a sensational manner but alas, it leads to the death of the mother in the arms of her bewildered daughter.

Keywords: patriarchy, affection, exploitation

INTRODUCTION The position and status of women in society has been changing from time to time. Women play variety of significant from their birth till the end of life. Even after playing her all the roles and the entire job timely in efficient manner in modern society, she is weak because men are still strongest gender of the society. Even after lots of awareness programs her life is more complicated than a man. She has to take care of herself and others too. Women are considered as the goddess in the Indian society from the ancient time however it is also true that they are not treated as goddess. They are being ill-treated for many years and used just as things to fulfill the wishes of men. For one of the finest crafted love stories seen on Indian celluloid one has to thank for his masterly creation of “Mamta”. The movie relates the story of Deviyani’s life and revolves around the theme of “mamta” -

95 | P a g e Ugc approved Impact Factor: 3.213 Vol 4, No 1 (2018): January to March 2018

Academic Social Research ISSN No. 2456-2645

motherhood, or a mother’s love, what a mother does for the protection and well-being of her child, and all the sacrifices made by her in order that her child can live a life filled with status, dignity and love. Mamta is a 1966 Hindi film, directed by Asit Sen, with music by Roshan. The movie starred Suchitra Sen, Ashok Kumar and . The film about middle class fears and class conflict has lead actress Suchitra Sen in a double role.the film permormed “above average” at the box office. Monish Rai (Ashok Kumar) comes from a wealthy family, and is in love with Deviyani (Suchitra Sen), who is poor. Monish has to travel abroad to further his education in law, but promises to stay in touch with Deviyani. After his departure, financial problems overwhelm Deviyani and her father. She approaches Monish’s mother for financial assistance, but is refused. In desperation, Deviyani’s father marries her off to a much older man, Rakhal Bhattacharya, who has loaned money to Deviyani’s father. Rakhal is also an alcoholic and frequents prostitutes. Deviyani becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl, Suparna. Unhappy with her marriage and her circumstances, she runs away, and becomes a devadasi, or temple dancer, performing for a male clientele. She is however found by Rakhal, who blackmails her for money, and who attempts to kidnap Suparna on more than one occasion. Deviyani approaches Mother Mary, the Mother Superior of a convent and leaves Suparna in her care. Deviyani subsequently disappears. When Monish returns to the city, he thinks he has seen Deviyani, but is told by others that the person he has seen is a Luck now-based prostitute, Pannabai. By a quirl of fate, Devyani meets Manish again, who steps into take charge of the little girl. Manish, now one of the leading lawyers of , who never married after he lost his love, brings up the girl with all his affection. Suparna grows up into a foreign educated barrister, unaware of the sacrifices her mother has put in over the years, who pines to get just one glimpse of her child. Several years later, when pannabai is charged with Rakhal’s murder and suparna guns for her prosecution , the relationship and the cause of murder is revealed in court in a sensational manner but alas, it leads to the death of the mother in arms of her daughter. The films in have always been a male dominated field. Initially women reluctantly admitted into cinema, as “eye candy”. Films portrayed the Indian society and its culture.in the early days, women accepted every kind of harassment and discrimination meekly to stay put in the industry because society is male dominated. In this film we have seen male dominance in every aspect that how a man holds upper hand over woman. Nowadays patriarchy is well-known term.it possess every day resonance when used in casual conversation or a descriptive sense, weather in Hindi or English or any other spoken language in Indian subcontinent. The term means absolute rule of father, brother, husband and son over his family. My question is why does women needs a man name? She can make her identity on her own as an independent entity. Why protagonist needed an alcoholic husband and fathers name for her child, why was she forced into prostitution?? This is all because society would not have spared her. She was asked by her lover’s mother to leave him. And so she married this lowly man. She became Pannabai not to feed her tummy, buy stuff but to feed her daughter and to give her a stable and respectable life. In which her alcoholic husband failed miserably. love is the driving source for any mother .The any relation that exist between a mother and child is that of love. eventhough her daughter won the case and proved her innocent for her alcoholic husband murder who blackmailed her that he would reveal the actual mother’s name and her profession. In order to protect her daughter from the stigma she murdered her husband but when she saw her daughter by her side she could not take it and left for heavenlyaboard because in her life and after she didn’t want her daughter to be associated with Pannabai. My question is why is a women always left with an option to step into prostitution may be because she is “bhoog Ki vastu” yes she is, because she is a thing not a person. A woman in Indian society has been a victim of humiliation, exploitation and torture. There are many episodes of rape, murder, dowry, domestic violence in our society. Women are victim of male domination in every sphere of life; economic life, decision making, earning even for her body. Hence a woman life lies between pleasure at one end and danger at other end but her world resolves around her child.

96 | P a g e Ugc approved Impact Factor: 3.213 Vol 4, No 1 (2018): January to March 2018

Academic Social Research ISSN No. 2456-2645

REFERENCES:  http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/article789600.ece  http://learningandcreativity.com/mamta-1966-full- movie/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060659/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl  http://learningandcreativity.com/mamta-1966-full-movie/

97 | P a g e Ugc approved Impact Factor: 3.213 Vol 4, No 1 (2018): January to March 2018