screen moms

Achla Sachdev

Achala worked for All India Radio, Lahore before Indian partition and then at Delhi All India Radio. Achala made her film debut with Fashionable Wife (1938), and acted in over 130 Hindi films. She has acted in many Yash Raj Films, starting with Yash Chopra's first production Daag: A Poem of Love (1973) and films like Chandni (1989) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). Her other noted films were Prem Pujari, Mera Naam Joker, Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Andaz, apart from acting in English films like the Mark Robson's Nine Hours to Rama (1963) and Merchant Ivory's The Householder (1963). However her most noted role remained of as Balraj Sahani's wife in the Waqt (1965), where in the hit song Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen was picturised with her.

Asha Parekh

Parekh started her career as a child artist under the screen name Baby Asha Parekh in the film Aasmaan (1952). Famed film director Bimal Roy saw her dance at a stage function and cast her at the age of twelve in Baap Beti (1954). film producer Subodh Mukherjee and writer-director Nasir Hussain cast her as the heroine in Dil Deke Dekho (1959) opposite Shammi Kapoor, which made her a huge star. After her days as a leading lady ended, Parekh took on supporting roles as bhabhi (sister-in-law) and mother, but she called this the "awkward phase" of her career. So she stopped acting in films.

Dimple Kapadia

Initially recognized as a national sex symbol, Kapadia was keen to avoid being stereotyped and expand her range of acting roles. She subsequently took on more serious parts in a range of film genres, from mainstream to parallel cinema, and received acclaim for her performances in such films as Kaash (1987), Drishti (1990), Lekin... (1990), and Rudaali (1993), which earned her a National Film Award for Best Actress and a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. Kapadia continued working infrequently through the 1990s and the 2000s. She played a minor part in Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and some of her later film credits include roles in Hum Kaun Hai (2004), Pyaar Mein Twist (2005), Phir Kabhi (2008) and Tum Milo Toh Sahi (2010), and supporting roles in Being Cyrus (2005), Luck by Chance (2009), Dabangg (2010), Cocktail (2012) and Finding Fanny (2014).

Dina Pathak

Dina Pathak (née Gandhi; 4 March 1922 – 11 October 2002) was a veteran actor and director of Gujarati theatre and also a film actor. She also was an activist and remained the President of the 'National Federation of Indian Women' (NIFW).

A doyenne of Hindi and Gujarati films as well as theatre, Dina Pathak acted in over 120 films in a career spanning over six decades. Her production Mena Gurjari in Bhavai folk theatre style, ran successfully for many years, and is now a part of its repertoire.

She is best known for her memorable roles in the Hindi films Gol Maal and Khubsoorat. She was a favourite of the Art Cinema in India where she played powerful roles in films like Koshish, Umrao Jaan, Mirch Masala and Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!.

Her notable Gujarati films were Moti Ba, Malela Jeev, and Bhavni Bhavai while her well-known plays include Dinglegar, Doll's House, Vijan Sheni and Girish Karnad's Hayavadana, directed by Satyadev Dubey.

Durga Khote

She also ranks among the top ten actresses in mother roles in Hindi cinema, most notable among them were as Jodhabai in K. Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960), as Kaikeyi in Vijay Bhatt's classic, Bharat Milap (1942); her other memorable roles as mother were in Charnon Ki Dasi (1941), Mirza Ghalib, Bobby (1973) and Bidaai (1974). She was received the highest award in Indian cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1983), for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.

Farida Jalal

Jalal began her career as a child artist in the 1963 melodrama Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke, and her first role as an adult came in Taqdeer (1967). She went on to play leading and supporting roles in numerous motion pictures across the 1970s and 80s. She became a household name after portraying motherly roles and strong female characters in the 1990s and the early 2000s. She has also won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance for her role in Mammo (1994). She won the Best Actress Award at 2012 Harlem International Film Festival for her role in A Gran Plan (2012).

Helen

Helen was introduced to Bollywood when a family friend, an actress known as Cukoo, helped her find jobs as a chorus dancer in the films Shabistan and Awara (1951).  She has appeared in over 700 films, and is often cited as the most popular nautch dancer of her time. She was the inspiration for four films and a book. Helen officially retired from movies in 1983, but she has since then appeared in a few guest roles such as Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and Mohabbatein (2000). She also made a special appearance as the mother of real-life step-son Salman Khan's character in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.. She also appeared in Humko Deewana Kar Gaye in 2006. Helen was selected for the Padma Shri awards of 2009 along with Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar. 

Hema Malini

Malini was a supporting artiste in Idhu Sathiyam (1963) and portrayed a danseuse in Pandava Vanavasam (1965). In 1968, Malini played opposite Raj Kapoor in Sapno Ka Saudagar.That was the beginning of her promotion as the "Bollywood dream girl."Malini's films of the 1970s include Sanyasi (1975), Dharmatma , Pratigya (1975). In Sholay (1975), Malini played the role of Basanti, a talkative girl. Other works of the period include Trishul, Joshila, Khushboo (1975), Kinara (1977) and Meera (1979). Malini performed with Dharmendra in 28 films including Sharafat, Tum Haseen Main Jawan, Naya Zamana, Raja Jani, Seeta Aur Geeta , Patthar Aur Payal, Dost (1974), Sholay (1975), Charas, Jugnu, Azaad (1978) and Dillagi (1978)

After her marriage, Malini made films including Kranti, Naseeb (1981), Satte Pe Satta, Rajput, and Ek Nai Paheli (1984). Malini portrayed the role of a classical singer in the film opposite Rajesh Khanna, which Times of India called one of the top film couples. Her works also included Aandhi Toofan, Durgaa (1985), Ramkali (1985), Sitapur Ki Geeta(1987), Ek Chadar Maili Si (1986), Rihaee and Jamai Raja (1990).During this period, Malini performed with Dharmendra in Alibaba Aur 40 Chor, Baghavat, Samraat, Razia Sultan, Andha Kanoon (1983), Baghavat, and Raaj Tilak (1984).

After taking a break from films for a number of years, Hema made a comeback with Baghban (2003), for which she earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination. 

Jaya Bachchan

She first acted with her future husband Amitabh Bachchan in the film, Bansi Birju (1972), followed by B.R. Ishara's  Ek Nazar also in the same year. Amitabh had undergone a string of flops, and when most lead heroines refused to work him, in Salim-Javed scripted, Zanjeer (1973), she stepped into the film. The film turned out to be a hit and gave rise to Amitabh Bachchan's angry-young-man image.  This was closely followed by their pairing in films like Abhimaan (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975) and Sholay (1975). Her daughter Shweta was born while Jaya and Amitabh were working on Sholay. Following this she retired from films and focused on raising her children. Her last film as a lead actress was Silsila (1981), opposite her husband.

After a gap in film appearances of 18 years, she returned to acting with Govind Nihalani's Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998), a film about the Naxalite movement. In 2000 she starred in Fiza for which she received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her work. She also starred in Karan Johar's family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) with her husband. She then starred in Karan Johar's next film, Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) playing the role of Preity Zinta's mother, Jennifer, for which she again received a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. She appeared with her son Abhishek in the films Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007) and Drona (2008).