MUMBAI: Heroine no. 1 of the 90s Karisma Kapoor is well known for her performances in Bollywood films such as Hero No.1, Raja Hindustani, and Dil Toh Pagal Hai. The actress rules the hearts of her fans in India and worldwide.
Karisma's digital debut with Ekta Kapoor’s web show Mentalhood went on air on 11th March.
Mentalhood is a depiction of modern mothers who are trying to get to the end of the day without going completely insane. Meira Sharma (Karisma Kapoor), Anuja Joshi (Sandhya Mridul), Preeti Khosla (Tillotama Shome), Deeksha Shah (Shruti Seth), and Namrata (Shilpa Shukla) are the mothers who seem to be in a race...a race to be the best parent. But in their quest for perfection, their imperfections show. They are competitive. They put the pressure of their dreams on their children. They spy on their kids. And all of this while being under the gaze of a society that easily blames everything wrong with a child on the mother.
The show tackles several problems of a mother: the dissonance between loving your children unconditionally and fulfilling their demands, choosing between dreams and responsibilities as a parent, and taking a break from children before you lose whatever sanity you have left. It shows that being a mother is never easy, regardless of whether you are a work-from-home mom, a full-time working mom, or a stay-at-home mom.
However, as the episodes unfold, the show becomes a guidebook on motherhood and parenting. Meira’s quotes from her blog at the end of the episodes can be compiled into a how-to-manual and handed over to new parents. Sample these pearls of wisdom: 'Bullies are weakest people; the best way to deal with them is inner strength'; 'A child gives birth to a mother and a father'; and 'Emotional insecurity and competitiveness are epidemics which have no solution.'
The moms of Mentalhood make sure you take interest in their story and get involved in the ups and downs of their lives. Like every web series of ALTBalaji, Mentalhood too keeps you hooked and promises a new twist in every episode.
Karisma and Dino Morea (playing single parents) get better at their job with each episode. Sanjay Suri, Shilpa Shukla, Tillotama Shome, Sandhya Mridul, and Shruti Seth nail their performances.
In all, Mentalhood is a show by mothers and for mothers. At times, it includes the perspective of fathers as well but mostly portrays them as irresponsible beings. It tries to weave in relationship struggles and identity crisis, but at its core, Mentalhood remains a show that gives lessons on good parenting.
Team TellyChakkar gives Mentalhood a 3.5 on 5.
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