Character Biopsies: Mrs. Priyamvada Kaushik from Badhaai Ho!
To begin with, it was an absolute delight to have Neena Gupta back on-screen after a long hiatus. She portrays the role of Mrs. Priyamvada Kaushik, a normal housewife with care and perfection. Not only is she a housewife, but also a wife, a mother and a daughter in law.
Playing a normal middle-class woman can be tricky but Mrs.Priyamvada Kaushik is a bit different. She is soft and mellow most of the times but strong and opinionated when it comes to dealing with her unborn child. She is patient, honest and constantly bears with her nagging mother in law who never misses an opportunity to belittle her in front of his son especially in the sequences where they have mango and she refers her to Mandodari (Ravana's wife).
She has her own small kitty party, where she prefers playing tambola the way it should be (fancy articulation of numbers) and keeping the regular normal gifts and surely treats her neighbors, her son's girlfriend and every visitor the way Indian culture wants them to be treated keeping aside all the differences she has with people.
She has her own small kitty party, where she prefers playing tambola the way it should be (fancy articulation of numbers) and keeping the regular normal gifts and surely treats her neighbors, her son's girlfriend and every visitor the way Indian culture wants them to be treated keeping aside all the differences she has with people.
She stands by her decision of keeping her unborn child irrespective of what the society thinks of it. Not only that, unlike today's fast forward mother, Mrs. Kaushik prefers to stick to the old norms of stopping her son by giving him her 'Kasam' and never forgets her role as a wife who yearns for the company and love of her husband who has an outstation job.
Throughout the movie, Mrs.Kaushik has a subtle agony which she tries not to let come to the table knowing there is nothing wrong in having a baby. Even knowing that her son is visibly upset with the news of her pregnancy, Mrs. Kaushik prefers to maintain a normal, healthy relationship with him as evident when she asks "Khana Khaa Liya Beta?", and thereafter Mrs. Kaushik's smile returns. On her son's break up, she instead of consoling him sits down with him on the terrace and they discuss everything; speaking about the bond she shares with her son no matter what happens.
Finally, Mrs. Priyamvada Kaushik is the mother next door, a daughter in law but most importantly she is a wife who stands tall by her husband, has her opinions and is someone an average Indian woman can look up to. Priyamvada does not want herself to be portrayed as a Goddess, she wants herself to be portrayed as a normal Indian woman who has her own needs.
Had it not been for Neena Gupta's evolved and matured performance, Badhaai Ho would not have been the riot and important movie it is! Kudos, Mrs. Priyamvada Kaushik, you are an inspiration for a normal housewife.
Throughout the movie, Mrs.Kaushik has a subtle agony which she tries not to let come to the table knowing there is nothing wrong in having a baby. Even knowing that her son is visibly upset with the news of her pregnancy, Mrs. Kaushik prefers to maintain a normal, healthy relationship with him as evident when she asks "Khana Khaa Liya Beta?", and thereafter Mrs. Kaushik's smile returns. On her son's break up, she instead of consoling him sits down with him on the terrace and they discuss everything; speaking about the bond she shares with her son no matter what happens.
Finally, Mrs. Priyamvada Kaushik is the mother next door, a daughter in law but most importantly she is a wife who stands tall by her husband, has her opinions and is someone an average Indian woman can look up to. Priyamvada does not want herself to be portrayed as a Goddess, she wants herself to be portrayed as a normal Indian woman who has her own needs.
Had it not been for Neena Gupta's evolved and matured performance, Badhaai Ho would not have been the riot and important movie it is! Kudos, Mrs. Priyamvada Kaushik, you are an inspiration for a normal housewife.
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