Dear Maa

Dear Maa tells the story of Brinda Mitra, portrayed by Jaya Ahsan, whose world is shattered when her adopted daughter Sohini goes missing, her search unfolding both like a procedural and a mother's desperate plea. The film delicately explores motherhood, adoption and self-sacrifice, showing how love can be more powerful than biology, the screenplay based on collaboration between Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and Sakyajit Bhattacharya feels organic, the pacing steady not rushed, Monsoon Kolkata visuals paired with introspective performances from ensemble cast members like Saswata Chatterjee and Chandan Roy Sanyal reinforce the emotional weight, the slow revelations about identity and belonging make this drama quietly affecting and distinct in Bengali cinema.

The most gripping aspect of Dear Maa is its refusal to glamorize or simplify mother-daughter relationships. Brinda and Sohini's bond fractures under emotional strain, and yet the film never loses sight of love as the throughline. Jaya Ahsan portrays this tension with nuance, her grief and determination invested, never performative. The supporting ensemble, including Chandan Roy Sanyal as a key figure in the search, brings understated solidity. Visually, the film captures monsoon-streaked Kolkata and its subdued aesthetic to mirror internal mood. In the end, the tragedy and hope interweave subtly, not through melodrama, but through quiet resilience.

The complexities of human relationships, especially motherhood are captured really well.

Dear Maa examines motherhood through lenses of loss and release-not in a preachy way but through raw emotion, Brinda's journey is a test of whether love can survive abandonment, Jaya Ahsan portrays this complexity through mid-day exhaustion and tear-streaked determination rather than speeches, the child actor shines too, Sohini's eyes carry conflict when she refuses her adoptive mother, the music by Bickram Ghosh underscores emotional swings with restraint, supporting cast threads like legal procedures and social assumptions enrich the emotional core, Aniruddha's directorial choices emphasize emotional arcs over plot mechanics, by the end you feel as if you've witnessed a rupture that both breaks and rebuilds familial bonds.

Brinda's ordeal feels universally relatable, although Sohini is not her biological child, when she disappears, the film asks if love formed through nurture can survive abandonment, Jaya Ahsan's portrayal captures silent fear and fierce devotion, the journey isn't flashy, it's human, the film avoids dramatic idioms and instead finds power in moments of silence and small gestures, ensemble cast members including Anubha Fatehpuria and Dhritiman Chatterjee contribute layered emotional texture, visually the film embraces monsoon periods and urban interiors to echo vulnerability, the search becomes emotional more than legal.

A lovely film that is all heart and feels.

After watching Dear Maa, I felt like I'd lived Brinda Mitra's pain alongside her. Jaya Ahsan powerfully portrays a mother who refuses to give up, even when her adopted daughter Sohini goes missing. The disappearance isn't just a mystery, it's an emotional rupture that highlights themes of belonging, family, and maternal courage. With Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's sensitive direction, the film explores adoption not as a label but a bond formed through sacrifice and trust. The urban Kolkata backdrop, the slow-building tension, and the performances from the supporting cast, including Chandan Roy Sanyal and Saswata Chatterjee, make this drama both compelling and intimate. Every searching glance and vulnerable silence builds toward a story about releasing control as much as holding on. A quietly powerful watch.