Baby ke liye juice lao – used to be a common refrain in the 1970s and 80s when star mothers would accompany top actresses on the sets and order their producers around. They would interfere in everything from dates to the food and vanity van arrangements. But with the 90s and entering the 2000 era, times changed and the star moms were replaced by secretaries. There were a few handful of star mothers (1990s) who would order people around on the sets (one was that of a fitness/yoga specialist actress) who would order food, in the name of the actress, but provided for 20 people. She would then pack the extra food and all water bottles provided by production and walk off with her ‘baby.’
While today’s generation of stars are more self-reliant but they have their own teams of managers, costume designers, hairstylists and makeup artists, who have their own demands on and offsets, interestingly, there has been a rise of two star mommies in recent times, who are irritating everybody from the producer and director to the unit with their irrational demands. So much so, that producers and directors have been shying away from signing the two actors because of their interfering moms.
A newbie actress whose last movie tanked at the box-office and her action-dancing hero co-star's star mothers have become the talk of the town because of their interference in their children's careers. Apart from their common movie, another similarity between the two is the fact that their mothers don’t listen to anybody – not even their own husbands who have been part of Bollywood for years. One of the mothers is a wannabe socialite who claims to organise events for a fee while the other is a bored housewife, who tried her hand at various departments of filmmaking but could not succeed. Both moms interfere in each and everything concerning their children – from what they wear to the food they eat and the dialogues and scenes in their films.
Though the young actor and the newbie have their own teams guiding their career, the mothers (also close friends in real life) sit in on every script-reading session, butting in with their own suggestions. It’s not just the scripts but other departments of filmmaking too. A producer who wanted to sign the actor, ran away as fast as he could, when he heard that she was going to give inputs for the costume design (and get her name in the credits). The newbie actress’s mother is no less. She calls up her baby’s team every day in the morning and night, asking for information, about what her daughter is doing, whom she is talking to, what she is eating... Generally, keeping tabs. Both mother and daughter are gaining a reputation for being arrogant and not-easy-to-please in Bollywood circles. Where the actor is concerned, he is a dutiful and loving son, who is unaware that his mother is so interfering, as she does it quietly. But both are trying to get their limelight from their star children in different ways.
If they listened to their husbands, the two star mothers would have learned a thing or two, because being in Bollywood for many years, the two men have the understanding and experience required to guide their children’s career, but they don't. They have given their children complete freedom to handle their work. Hope the two star mothers realise that by such interference, they are only harming and not helping their star children’s careers, which has still not taken off successfully.
Tara coming out swinging gain
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Anupamaa
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