They are strong, fierce, vulnerable, spirited, ambitious, and even vengeful if need be. Mothers in recent web projects can be described as all this and more. From actor Sushmita Sen entering the narcotics business to protect her kids in Aarya, and actor Sakshi Tanwar out to find the killers of her daughter in Mai, to actor Rasika Dugal exploring the complexities of motherhood as she deals with her husband’s infidelity in Out Of Love — the characters of mothers we are seeing now are more complex, nuanced and layered than they were ever before.

Dugal is elated that motherhood is no longer glorified or oversimplified. “A mother-child relationship is no longer shown as perfect or devoid of conflict. In many stories, we see the fears, anxieties and confusions of being a parent, co-existing with the joys of it. Even though I have no experience of being a parent in real life, Dr Meera Kapoor and her relationship with her son Abhi, especially in season two of Out Of Love, gave me a glimpse of how demanding yet beautiful parenting can be,” she shares.

Actor Raveena Tandon in Aranyak and actor Madhuri Dixit Nene in The Fame Game, are other such characters who drove the narratives with their courage and fearlessness when it came to their children. “For a long time, we had a very fixed notion of how a mother needs to be portrayed on screen. Now, the writing has caught up with the times and we are showing women of today, and that stands true for my show, The Fame Game, with Madhuri,” says director Bejoy Nambiar.

To this, director Vinay Waikul, who helmed Aranyak, adds, “Life is not unidimensional, and that stands true for the characters of mothers on screen. This realisation has changed the whole narrative.” And this is something screenwriter Charudutt Acharya agrees with, adding that the “concept of a stay-at-home mom is also changing”.

According to actor Sahher Bambba, who played the role of a mother to a 33-year-old on screen at the age of 23, the change is empowering in many ways. “Now, cinema is reflecting the reality, which is that there are many facets to motherhood. Back in the day, after a woman hit a certain age, it would be the end of her career. Now, it doesn’t stand true, and it is because of such diverse roles,” she says.

However, there is still a long way to go, feels actor Kitu Gidwani, who recently played a mother in the show, Potluck. “We don’t believe that older women can be hot, happy, successful, vibrant, intelligent and path-breaking. We still have a big fear of older women in this country. Maybe the younger ones have more scope, but not older women. For instance, we are still [predominantly seeing women play] a mother supporting her kids’ decisions, and stuff like that. Where are the guts to show women breaking and finding their own? I want to see that, and hope it comes soon,” ends Gidwani.