Some relationships are shaped not just by blood ties, but by struggles and sacrifices that leave lasting imprints on people’s lives. Before Vishal Jethwa made his mark with projects like Mardaani, Salaam Venky and Homebound, there was a woman quietly holding everything together, his mother Preeti Jethwa. From working as a caterer to selling sanitary pads, undergarments and saris after her husband’s passing, her focus remained singular: ensuring her children received the education and opportunities that she never had.

For Vishal, the moment that captures her journey most vividly is one his mother often recalls. Preeti says, “Jab maine Salaam Venky ka woh poster dekha jahan mera beta Kajol ki god mein soya hai, meri aankhon mein aansu aa gaye the. Jin actors ki filmein dekhne ke liye kabhi paise nahi hote the, aaj unke saath mera beta kaam kar raha hai. Woh feeling bohot alag thi.”

Speaking about his bond with his mother and how Mother’s Day has evolved over the years, Vishal says, “I have always believed that I don’t need just one day to celebrate my mother. I love and respect her every day. But now I feel ki Mother’s Day par aur thoda zyada celebrate karna chahiye. It may not be grand, but I try to make the day extra special by planning surprises for her. This year I won’t be able to spend Mother’s Day with her because my shoot wraps up on May 12, but I’ve still planned something special for her.”

For Vishal, making his mother feel special today is deeply tied to the memories of the life they once lived in Mumbai. Recalling his humble beginnings and early years, he says, “I was very young when my father sold coconut water. He also sold groundnuts outside bars, and I would help him pack them. I still remember sitting in our room making those packets. Tab hum masti mein karte the.”

Life changed drastically after his father suffered a heart attack and passed away in 2008, leaving the family to navigate severe financial struggles. Preeti recalls, “My husband and I had come to Mumbai from Gujarat with just Rs 100 that he borrowed from my mother. We were financially very weak. I wasn’t educated, so my husband taught me embroidery and machine work. When he passed away, there was no support system. Ghar bohot mushkil se chalta tha. I worked as a caterer, sold sanitary pads, undergarments and saris. Maine thaan liya tha ki mere bachche paise ke liye kisi dukaan par kaam nahi karenge. I wanted them to study and become what they wished to.”

Responsibility, too, came early for Vishal. He says, “After my father passed away, people would tell me, ‘Ab tu ghar ka bada beta hai, tujhe zimmedaari sambhalni hai.’ I didn’t fully understand it then, but gradually I realised that if we don’t look after each other, who will?”

Preeti remembers there was also a phase when repeated auditions and rejections made her worry for her son. She says proudly, “Vishal’s biggest strength is his patience and perseverance. Ek aisa time tha jab bohot audition ho rahe the aur maine ek hi baar usko bola tha ki jaane de nahi ho raha hai toh. He would always tell me, ‘Main karunga, sab hoga.’ People around us would question his career choice, saying, ‘Acting mein kya rakha hai? Industry mein kaun hai iska?’ But he proved everyone wrong.”

The actor admits his understanding of his mother’s sacrifices deepened only after he began studying acting. He says, “My guru, Shoaib Khan sir, taught me many life lessons, and that’s when I truly understood the value of a mother and the sacrifices my mom made for us.”

One of the biggest qualities Vishal wishes to inherit from his mother is her ability to take decisions and act on them fearlessly. He says, “Woh decision leti hai aur uss par kaam karti hai. Sometimes, I struggle to make decisions, but mummy has always been clear and action-oriented.”

Today, his biggest goal is to give his mother the comfort she once sacrificed for him. “I want her to travel comfortably, enjoy life and stay stress-free. We tease her, ‘Mummy ka ab raajyog chaalu ho gaya hai.’ After everything she has gone through, she deserves to enjoy every bit of her life,” he says, adding, “My mother has always been a fighter, and now I want her to live like a queen.”

Salaam Venky tells a very moving tale of a man with a terminal disease and his mother. Director Revathy gets a good bunch of actors together and this is a film that could have gone anywhere. Sadly, except for the performances and some touching and arresting moments, the film fails to impress. There’s no story movement at all in the first half. Venky joking about his death gets repetitive. Thankfully, things seem to move in the right direction with the courtroom drama. But here, the writing falls flat. Certain developments are absolutely bewildering and moreover, the climax is unexpected and not in a good way. Speaking of performances, Kajol underplays her part well and it works in her favour. Vishal Jethwa, last seen as the villain in Mardaani 2, is terrific. The way he has portrayed the part is seen to be believed. Rajeev Khandelwal, Rahul Bose, Priya Mani and Aahana Kumra are superb in supporting parts. Prakash Raj deserves a separate mention as his performance as the judge is memorable. Aneet Padda (Nandini) and Riddhi Kumar (Sharda) provide able support. Kamal Sadanah is okay in the cameo. Aamir Khan is lovely but his character is bizarre. All in all, Salaam Venky is a boring film.

My rating - ** out of 5!

CINEMAS BRACE FOR A POOR WEEK BEFORE THE BIG FESTIVE RELEASES

Last week, An Action Hero was released in cinemas. It starred Ayushmann Khurrana and despite great response, the collections were quite low. There was hope that it’ll have a strong Monday but that didn’t happen. This Friday will see the release of multiple films and their collections are expected to be worse. My analysis:

SALAAM VENKY: It stars Kajol and Mardaani 2 actor Vishal Jethwa and is a story of a mother and her terminally ill son. It is directed by Revathy and also stars some interesting names in supporting roles like Rahul Bose, Prakash Raj, Priya Mani and Rajeev Khandelwal. In fact, Aamir Khan also features in a cameo. Despite the presence of such actors and Kajol in the lead, the excitement is minimal due to the subject and trailer.

MAARRICH: It stars Tusshar Kapoor in a leading role and he’s also one of the producers. The film is a murder mystery cum investigative drama. Such films usually find takers but because of the star cast and not-so-exciting trailer, the film is all set for a very bad opening.

VADH: It stars Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav and though it rests on an interesting concept, there’s near-zero awareness around it.

LIFE IS GOOD: Directed by Ananth Mahadevan, it stars Jackie Shroff. Due to the subject and very limited promotions, its chances to succeed at the box office are not there.

KHATRA DANGEROUS: It is directed by Ram Gopal Varma and is a lesbian love story. Due to the steamy scenes, it may find acceptance in B and C Centres.

VIJAYANAND: It’s a Kannada film which has been dubbed in Hindi. It is the biopic of Dr Vijay Sankeshwar, the owner of the largest fleet of commercial vehicles in the country. However, the Hindi belt is not aware of this gentleman and hence, collections will be negligible.

Fortunately, collections will improve from next week thanks to the release of Avatar: The Way Of Water on December 16 followed by Cirkus on December 23.