Mother's Day: Moms Creating Legacy in Entertainment Industry

Seema Pahwa, Lillete Dubey, Neena Gupta, Soni Razdan, and Pooja Bedi have inspired their daughters to reach new pinnacles of success

There are many success stories in the entertainment industry that seem straight out of a fairy tale. But behind each milestone, is perhaps the toil of many generations. This Mother's Day, let us look back at the life stories of mothers whose struggle and hard-earned success have inspired their daughters to be achievers in their own right.

Seema Pahwa and Manukriti Pahwa

Seema Pahwa had a thriving career ahead of her after starring in India's first soap opera 'Hum Log' in 1984. But then she took a long break to take care of her son Mayank and daughter Manukriti. Once her children grew up, Seema eventually returned to acting along with her theatrical roots by performing plays like 'Saag Meat' and directing Zee Theatre's literary anthology 'Koi Baat Chale.' She has also featured in multiple TV shows, and films like 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' and 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan.' She has also directed the film 'Ramprasad ki Tehrvi.' Manukriti too has made a name for herself on stage and made her cinematic debut in Yash Raj's 2018 production, 'Sui Dhaaga' where Seema also played a pivotal part. She also assisted Seema during the making of 'Koi Baat Chale' and is all set to create a legacy of her own on stage and in films just like her mother. She is incidentally married to Shahid Kapoor's stepbrother Ruhan and is Supriya Pathak’s daughter-in-law.

Lillete Dubey - Ira Dubey

Multifaceted actor and theatre director Lillete Dubey's theater journey began in 1973 when she along with Barry John and peers co-founded 'Theatre Action Group' (TAG). Over the decades, she has worked in Indian and international productions, on stage, on television, and in films like 'Zubeidaa', 'Monsoon Wedding', 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' and many more. In 1991, she set up 'The Primetime Theatre Company' and for over three decades has showcased original Indian plays and regional adaptations for a global audience. Her acclaimed body of work includes Zee Theatre's teleplays like 'Adhe Adhure', and 'Womanly Voices'. Her career and fulfilling family life have also given her daughters Neha and Ira, roots and wings. Ira is a trained actor and is juggling theatre productions like '30 Days in September', 'Womanly Voices' and 'Adhe Adhure' with films like 'Aisha', and 'Dear Zindagi.' She has also toured with the internationally acclaimed one-woman show, '9 Parts of Desire', directed by Lillete.

Neena Gupta - Masaba Gupta

In her autobiography 'Sach Kahoon Toh,' celebrated actor Neena Gupta recalls how as a single mom, she would take her daughter to work with her including on the set of 'Tipu Sultan' which was tragically engulfed in fire. Both mother and daughter have come a long way since then. Neena who has appeared in cult films ('Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro', 'Saath Saath', 'Utsav'), starred in the clutter-breaking Doordarshan show 'Khandaan' and directed a TV drama ('Saans') is now also enjoying major commercial success via hits like 'Badhaai Ho' and 'The Last Color'. Her work in the OTT show 'Panchayat' has also been critically acclaimed. Daughter Masaba, after establishing herself as a fashion and beauty entrepreneur, has also successfully ventured into acting with the popular Netflix show, 'Masaba Masaba' where Neena plays herself with trademark candor. Both women exemplify success, grit, resilience, and also well-deserved personal and professional triumph.

Soni Razdan-Alia Bhatt

Soni Razdan was an important part of new-age cinema including 'Chowringhee Lane', 'Mandi', 'Saaransh', 'Trikaal', 'Khamosh', 'Daddy,' 'Buniyaad' and many more. She also starred in the superhit Doordarshan show 'Buniyaad' but a big mainstream break eluded her. However, right from her debut in 'Student of the Year', her daughter cracked the code of commercial success. Alia Bhatt's work in 'Highway', 'Raazi' where she starred with Soni, 'Gully Boy,' 'Dear Zindagi' and more recently in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' has made her the darling of critics as well. Her film company 'Eternal Sunshine Productions' is also doing very well. In 1977, famous Italian auteur Franco Zeffirelli had wanted to cast Soni as Mary in the miniseries, 'Jesus of Nazareth'. She did not land the part but life came full circle when her daughter starred in an international production, 'Heart of Stone' in 2023.  

Pooja Bedi - Alaya F

Pooja Bedi's iconic red dress from 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar' is an unfading cinematic memory from the 80s. This was a decade, when she shaped popular culture with her appearances in a Baba Sehgal hit ('Dil Dhadke') and also bold advertising campaigns. She also worked on her late mother Protima Bedi's memoir 'Time Pass', is a successful columnist, and took a long break from acting to raise her children. Her daughter Alaya F earned a diploma in acting at the New York Film Academy, made her debut in 'Jawaani Jaaneman' and won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Interestingly her mother had been nominated for a Filmfare Award for 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar' but did not win. Alaya is now experimenting with narratives like 'Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat' along with commercial films.  And just like Pooja, she too is on a unique creative trajectory.

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