Actress Sonali Kulkarni has spoken candidly about her upcoming short film 'Like Maa', describing the project as a deeply sensitive exploration of how unresolved childhood trauma shapes women's lives well into adulthood — through marriage, motherhood, and beyond. The film, set in Meerut, is slated to release following the trailer drop on Monday, 2 November 2026.

What Drew Sonali to the Project

Kulkarni said she was moved by the subject that first-time director Neeru Sharma chose for her debut short film. 'I was very touched by the subject Neeru has chosen for her first short film. It is a very sensitive subject, and her direction is also very subtle. I am happy that I could add value to her script because she was open to improvisations and suggestions,' she said.

The actress credited Sharma's openness to collaboration as key to bringing depth to her performance, noting that the freedom to improvise helped her inhabit the character more authentically.

The Core Emotional Argument

At the heart of 'Like Maa' is a question that Kulkarni argues mainstream Indian cinema rarely addresses directly: do women ever truly leave their childhood wounds behind? Her answer, grounded in the film's narrative, is a firm no. 'Growing older, getting married, becoming mothers, and even becoming mothers-in-law do not necessarily make those fears and painful experiences disappear,' she said.

She added that those fears and childhood traumas remain unresolved regardless of the social roles a woman acquires over time. This framing positions 'Like Maa' not merely as a family drama but as a psychological portrait of inherited pain and intergenerational emotional patterns — a theme that resonates in the context of growing mainstream conversation around mental health in India.

Story and Setting

The film is set in an upper-middle-class neighbourhood in Meerut and centres on Anjana, a 36-year-old homemaker navigating family responsibilities, everyday domestic routines, and the social pressure of maintaining respectability. The emotional spine of the story is her relationship with her teenage daughter, which serves as the lens through which the film examines how childhood experience shapes adult behaviour and parenting styles.

The trailer, released on social media on Monday, offered early audiences a glimpse into this layered domestic world, drawing attention for its restrained, observational tone.

Cast and Creative Team

'Like Maa' is written, produced, and directed by Neeru Sharma under her banner Niruvana Kreations. Sonali Kulkarni leads the cast as Anjana. The supporting ensemble includes Mehdi Khan, Mehan Soni, Smita Inamdar, Aishwarya Manohar, Hisha Joshi, Nandini Sharma, Komal Khimsariya, and Ayaz Khan.

With its focus on psychological realism over dramatic spectacle, the film represents a growing strand of Indian short-form content that foregrounds women's inner lives — a format that has found increasing traction on digital platforms. How audiences respond to 'Like Maa' will be a test of appetite for this quieter, more introspective mode of storytelling.