Mera pass maa hain”
Ravi makes the statement, although he lacks conviction, the inner belief, not entirely certain whether Mom is with him. And she isn’t, never was! Because she has always been with Vijay, all along, right from the beginning.
With Vijay, to burden the shame and humility of his absconding, alleged corrupt father…
With Vijay, whose destiny has been tattooed on his hand onto his mind, to relive every moment through the rest of his life…
With Vijay, to share the sacrifice of his literary life in favor of his younger brother’s…
With Vijay, to adapt the hardships of child labor to support the family…
With Vijay, to comfort him in his belief as an atheist (though he chooses the formless 786 over a Hindu idol), also to alleviate his pain as he resorts to deviate and rebel…
Frustrated by the fact that Vijay’s fate and destiny – were not really chosen by him but rather forced on him, she wants to support him as a mother; however the woman in her, holds her back. However, it is the very reason she chooses Vijay over Ravi. She even ascertains this to Ravi while handing him a pistol to accomplish his karma– “Ek aurat hone ka farz maine nibha diya hai, ab ek maa ka vaada pura karne jaa rahi hoon”. She is just a “lady” to Ravi but more than a “Maa” to Vijay.
The symbolism of Ma! To me this more or less forms the crux of the whole movie – it’s not only “usoolul-adarsh” but also the frustration and jealousy of not really possessing the doting mother, that eventually consumes Ravi, leading him to commit fratricide. The ever turbulent Vijay eventually dies at peace in the arms of the Maa – the taboo of his life and the ink of the tattoo washing away in her tears.
Lamentably though, at the end as Ravi picks the award – his mom’s face is a distortion of pain and suffering. She is still not his, having already left with Vijay as he died…
Truth Speaks... 