She moves mountains for her children: Bollywood celebs share what a mother means

India Today

11-05-2025

Motherhood is not the same for everyone, but for the world, a mother stands for the values that only she can embody and strengthen. While she's someone who's capable of loving unconditionally, she can also be the strongest pillar of strength and resilience for her children in difficult situations.India Today spoke to a few young women from Bollywood to understand their idea of a 'mother'.
'Chhorri 2' actor Nushrratt Bharuccha with her mother Tasneem Bharucha
advertisementNushrratt Bharuccha: "A mother is someone who's the only person in the world who's capable of unconditionally loving their child, being fiercely protective, fighting tooth and nail, and maybe the whole world if it comes to that, for their child's safety, well-being, happiness, and their future."
"I think for me, a mother is just somebody who can really make a child feel like they don't need, or they couldn't want anything or anyone else in the world if they have just their mother with them through everything, through all the lows, the highs, the struggles, just everything."
'Jewel Thief' actor Nikita Dutta with her mother Alka Dutta
advertisementNikita Dutta: "A mother is the embodiment of unconditional love, strength, and sacrifice. She's the glue that holds families together and inspires us to be better versions of ourselves.""She's the one who holds our hands through life's biggest challenges and makes us feel loved in our darkest moments. Her love knows no bounds, and her influence shapes us in ways we may never fully realise. She's the reason we find the strength to keep going, even when the road ahead seems uncertain."
Pashmina Roshan with her mother Kanchan Roshan
Pashmina Roshan: "A mother is the perfect balance of softness and strength. She's the one who'll hold you close when the world feels too big and too loud, offering you a quiet place to breathe and feel safe. At the same time, she's the force who will fiercely protect you, stand up for you, and teach you how to be resilient in a world that sometimes doesn't make it easy.""A mother has this quiet strength that shows up when you least expect it - whether it's in the way she juggles a hundred things at once or the way she knows exactly what you need, even when you don't know it yourself. Her love is the softest thing in the world, but don't mistake that softness for weakness—it's the kind of strength that makes her capable of moving mountains for her family."
'Pyar Ka Professor' actor Nikita Dutta with her mother Sushma Dhar
Sandeepa Dhar: "A mother is your first home; your nurturer, your guide, your silent strength. She knows your heartbeat before you even speak, senses your joys and sorrows without a word.""She shapes your soul, teaches you right from wrong, and plants the values that ground you for life. Every smile, every habit, every instinct, you carry her within you. She's not just someone who gave you life; she is life, the root of who you are. A mother is love in its purest form; unspoken, unwavering, and eternal."
'Kesari Veer' actor Akanksha Sharma with her mother Sakshi Sharma
advertisementAkanksha Sharma: "A mother is a divine force, and for me personally, my mother is my universe, and my mother is my solution to every problem, and she is an answer to every question. Earlier, mothers were restricted to roles like those of nurturers and someone who was someone who was just symbols of sacrifice and, you know, they had their own duties for their kids.""But as Indian cinema has evolved, now mothers have their own individualities and dreams and that has been showcased more in films now."Bollywood has explored all shades of motherhood, from showing her as the one who sacrifices her life for the betterment of her children in the Nirupa Roy-starrer movies of the 70s, to being this fierce force protecting her kin like only she can - in 'Mom', 'Mother India', and 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway', among others. India, where we acknowledge our country as our motherland, is the land where mothers are not just respected, but celebrated and worshipped. The Indian film industry reflects the same when it's about featuring motherhood through cinema.