Dawn Images

I attended the premiere for Mom last night and I have to admit, the movie's still on my mind.

I walked into the cinema mindlessly munching on my nachos with zero expectations. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to see Adnan Siddiqui and Sajal Aly rub shoulders with Bolly bigwigs like Sridevi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna onscreen.

Clearly, they've made quite an impression, judging from the special message a teary-eyed Sridevi recorded for the duo that was broadcast at the premiere. In the message she shared how she misses them and how the movie wouldn't have been the same without them.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised. Mom is a movie about retribution but it's not really that simple.

When their vivacious daughter, Arya (Sajal Aly) is physically assaulted by four men on Valentine's Day and left to die in a ditch, the life of a biology teacher, Devki Sabarwal (Sridevi) and her husband Anand, (Adnan Siddiqui) is turned upside down. It is every parent's worst nightmare come true.

What follows is yet another reminder that the legal system isn't the well-oiled machinery we hope for it to be. So what do you when the judicial process you put your faith in betrays you? If you're like Devki, you take matters into your own hands and set out on a path of vengeance.

Here's 5 reasons you should go watch this thriller at the cinema this weekend:

1) A strong female protagonist

Let me just say, Devki is bada**!

Mom marks Sridevi's 300th (!!!) film and her comeback to the big screen five years after English Vinglish and what a comeback it is.

Every twitch, every glance by the powerhouse is believable and has you placing yourself in her shoes, questioning what you would do when faced with such moral conundrums. Not to mention, it's refreshing to see a woman take the reigns and seek justice, instead of playing a damsel in distress and trust me, there's a lot of distress.

2) A stellar cast

Mom's got one impressive ensemble cast.

Yes, Sajal and Adnan did their respective roles well but seriously, why don't we see more of Akshaye Khanna? His role as the intuitive, brooding inspector Matthew Francis is memorable and fits him like a glove whereas Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the eerie private detective DK provides well-timed comic relief in the otherwise dark narrative.

Seriously, that one line where he's looking at a painting worth INR 50 lakhs and says, "Is se acha toh mein paan thook ke bana deta" is all of us at an art exhibit.

3) Anay Goswamy

No idea who that is? I don't blame you but this guy deserves a shoutout for that brilliant cinematography.

The movie's got this grimy 90s vibe and the way Goswamy just controls the audience's focus is impeccable. His use of lighting and lensing is what makes the flick consistently compelling. You'll know when you watch it.

4) Plot twists you don't see coming

There were at least three instances during the movie where I literally gasped. I think I also said "oh snap!" once.

Bear with me, I know it sounds like one of those run of the mill rape-and-revenge thrillers that follows a rather foreseeable pattern and in a way, it does. We've seen it all before: the night of, the sexual abuse, the distraught parents, the lacunas in the law.

I could wrap up this review in a couple of lines if I wanted to but that would mean disregarding all these little turns seamlessly woven into the storyline that had me on the edge of my seat.

5) It's relatable

I thought 'men are trash' like 10 times to myself while watching Mom; it will definitely fan your anger against men who commit crimes against women. Debut director Ravi Udyawar skillfully exposes the brutal reality of stalking, harassment and the consequences that female victims have to live with if they should bruise the fragile male ego.

Also relatable is the way the plot unpacks family dynamics. Every mother, every father, every teenager will be able to relate to this story, not literally but with the aftermath of tragedy, stages of grief and how far one is willing to go to avenge their blood.