In India, a woman who does not want to give up on her career while raising her child is always on a guilt trip. She wants to be there for her kid round the clock, and when that doesn’t happen and she is forced to entrust another woman to raise her child the way she always dreamt of, she goes through an emotional crisis.
That’s the story of both the women in Adkitta — of Kaveri (Sakhee Gokhale), the mother who is returning to work while handing over her child to their newly hired caretaker, Mangal (Sai Tamhankar). While both women want to be available to their kids, they have their own priorities and challenges in life that do not allow them to be stay-at-home mothers.
Kaveri, who is ready to give up her job to be with her newborn baby, is asked not to give up on her job (by her husband) as she is being asked to take charge of a project which is a big boost for her career. On the other hand, Mangal is desperately looking for a job as a babysitter as she’s lost her previous job and her son is in need of heart surgery due to a hole in his heart.
As both the mothers develop a friendly bond and stand by each other in times of need, Mangal’s son passes away while she is busy attending Kaveri’s son’s birthday (in a way, she is on the job). As Mangal’s husband blames her for being unavailable for her son in times of need, their relationship not just becomes strained but breaks as well, post which she moves into Kaveri’s home and is now dedicated towards Arjun (Kaveri’s son), while giving his parents the freedom to be at work for long hours, to be unavailable for their son if the time demands, and to take time out and go out for dinners during special occasions. As all this is unfolding, Mangal’s presence as a full-time caretaker of Arjun makes Kaveri suspicious, and her insecurities start mounting. The primary reason is that she cannot be available for her son all the time while another woman is there for him. She is afraid that the kid will forget his own mother due to her work commitments. To add to it, Mangal’s cousin’s presence in their house makes them place CCTV cameras at home to keep an eye on her.
Towards the end, the story takes another complicated turn, which means nothing can get back to normal from here for the characters now. As everyone involved is still equally attached and devoted to Arjun and his well-being, the equations and dynamics between the parents and their babysitter change.
My interpretation of the ending is that Mangal quits her job, but the last scene says that she is still happy that Kaveri’s son is growing up well. Each and every one of his accomplishments, like taking his first steps, makes her as happy as it makes his mother. How you want to interpret the ending depends on how you want to look at it, but I do not see things getting better for the couple or for their babysitter. And if you look at the twisted turn of events, you will realise why it’s better for Mangal to walk away before things get more complicated for the three of them.
Language: Marathi
Where to Watch? Zee5
