Ever since she made her debut in Films in 1991, Karisma Kapoor has faced tough challenges in her acting career as well as in personal life. Yet, she has been the most successful actress during 90s and early 2000’s, with number of box office hits. Karisma has also won many popular awards including the National award for her performance through variety of roles. Special mention about her intense roles in films like ‘Zubaida’, ‘Shakti’ and ‘Fiza’.
And now, we find her memorable debut performance in web series ‘Mentalhood’ which can be viewed on Zee 5 app. Directed by Karishma Kohli, though the concept of this series is inspired by American TV series ‘Big Little Lies’, the director has paid more attention on all those mothers from affluent Indian families, whose children study in a Global School. Focus is paid on the challenges faced by these mothers(whether working or housewives) while meeting the demands and managing the changing moods of their school going children.
Karisma plays the central role of Meira Sharma, a well educated multi-tasking Mom of three children , who tries to find the right balance in parenting, by reaching out to other Moms of children from a Global School in Mumbai, where her three children are studying. By the way, it is her first year in Mumbai, having come here on her husband’s transfer from Kanpur. So, she tries to adjust herself with the new environment, by maintaining herself well and trying to search for modeling assignments, being former Miss Kanpur. By the way, unlike other Moms of the schoolchildren from this Global school, she is the coolest among them, who learns through her experiences, while interacting with others in this new environment. So, through her blog, which she writes with the name –Mentalmom, she forms her own opinion on her day to day experience.
This interesting web series has also given equal importance to other important characters like her husband Anmol played by Sanjay Suri, Dino Morea a single Dad of twins (through surrogacy), Sandhya Mridul , the head of Parents-Teacher Association of the school, Shilpa Shukla, as Namrata Dalmia, as successful CEO of a company, Shruti Seth a divorcee with a son and above all Tilotama Shome, the Mom of two mischievous children who revolts against her dominant husband. What is good about this series is that besides the wonderful performance from Karisma, good support comes from other important characters, with their fine performances. The topics covered in the screenplay are very much relevant to the day to day modern lifestyle of affluent families. Technically, this is a well made series and certainly a worth watch.