Dear Maa (2025) [Movie Review] — A Tender, Thoughtful Study of Motherhood and Choice

After the death of her husband, Brinda (Jaya Ahsan) navigates life with her adopted daughter Jhimli. Ambitious and career-driven, Brinda’s struggle to reconcile professional desire with maternal responsibility forms the emotional core of the film (Dear Maa).

Direction & Tone

Lyrical restraint from a filmmaker returning home

Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury brings his hallmark calm and visual lyricism back to Bengali cinema. He favors patient scenes and evocative imagery over melodrama, letting small gestures and silences carry emotional weight. The film’s measured tempo sometimes keeps the audience at a distance, but it also allows moments of quiet intimacy to land with real force.

Story & Screenplay

A compassionate premise that occasionally leaves questions unasked

Co-written by Sakyajit Bhattacharya and Chowdhury, the screenplay explores adoption, identity, and the social contours of motherhood in contemporary India. The film thoughtfully sketches legal and societal complexities around adoption, yet at times it skirts deeper psychological and ethical tensions—especially around Brinda’s internal doubts—leaving certain motivations under-explored.

If you want to watch new Bengali movies for free, click now on HDMovie365

Performances

Jaya Ahsan illuminates; the supporting cast anchors the world

Jaya Ahsan is the film’s beating heart, delivering a layered, controlled performance that conveys conflict through nuance rather than melodrama. The young actors portraying Jhimli (Ahana and Nandika Das) are warm and believable, making the bond feel fragile and genuine. Saswata Chatterjee and Dhritiman Chatterjee contribute memorable turns—each adding texture and moral ballast—while Chandan Roy Sanyal’s role feels serviceable but less defined than it might have been.

Music & Technicals

Elegant soundscape and polished visuals

Bikram Ghosh’s music subtly supports the emotional arc without overwhelming it; the soundtrack complements the film’s reflective mood. The cinematography bathes scenes in soft, glowing tones that heighten the film’s poetic bent, and production design keeps the world authentic and lived-in.

Themes & Impact

Raises vital questions about modern motherhood and choice

Dear Maa courageously foregrounds debates around ambition, parenthood, and social expectation. It sparks worthwhile conversations about what it means to choose career over family (or to balance both), and how society frames those choices for women. However, the film’s occasional reluctance to interrogate uncomfortable contradictions—especially in secondary character arcs—means it doesn’t always push the discussion as far as it could.

Watch now Dear Maa on HDMovie365.com

Verdict

A tender, imperfect meditation worth watching

Dear Maa is a compassionate, visually assured film anchored by a standout central performance from Jaya Ahsan. While its pacing and some underwritten threads prevent it from wholly satisfying, it remains a thoughtful, conversation-starting drama about love, duty, and the many faces of motherhood. Highly recommended for viewers who appreciate subtle character studies and films that ask more questions than they answer.

Rating: ★★★⯪☆ (3.5/5)