WHERE DAUGHTERS BREAK AND MOTHERS BLOOM

Two Tamil films screened at the 55th International Film Festival of India—Sivantha Mann and Amma's Pride—explored themes of marginalisation and resilience, weaving stories of daughters in struggle and mothers in unwavering love

- SUDHIR SRINIVASAN

It's fascinating how patterns emerge between films screened as part of a double bill, as though stories whisper to each other across genres and formats. On Tuesday, the sixth day of the 55th International Film Festival of India, two Tamil films—Sivantha Mann (directed by Infant) and Amma's Pride (directed by Shiva Krish)—brought to life the struggles of protagonists who are othered, boxed out by a society that denies them even the most fundamental joys.

In Sivantha Mann, it's a woman stripped of the dignity of her labor and denied the right to her wages. In Amma's Pride, a hybrid documentary, it's a transwoman fighting against the dual walls of law and prejudice to marry the man she loves. Beneath these struggles, layered across both narratives, there's a common theme: these are films about mothers—beautiful, unwavering mothers.