Hari Venkat C.

Maaman (2025) spins its story around the unpredictable world of family, ambition, and all those messy grey areas in between. The film drops us into the life of Hari, a guy who never really got the hang of “adulting,” but is suddenly forced to take charge when his dad’s health takes a nosedive. He’s not your classic hero—kind of a slacker, kinda lovable, definitely a magnet for chaos. Pretty soon, things spiral. Siblings show up out of nowhere, each one with their own secret agenda. Everyone’s got an opinion about what should happen next, and Hari’s stuck in the middle, juggling expectations he never signed up for. And honestly, it’s a riot watching him try to keep all the balls in the air. There’s money drama, old family feuds bubbling up, and those awkward, hilarious moments that only happen during reunions when people who barely tolerate each other have to play nice. But, buried under the jokes and the madness, there’s this super relatable question: what does “family” even mean when nobody’s on the same page? The film doesn’t get all sappy about it, though—it just lets the mess play out, complete with sharp one-liners and the kind of small-town gossip that spreads like wildfire. Maaman doesn’t pretend everyone gets a happy ending, but it does serve up a solid reminder that sometimes, the people who drive you nuts are the ones you can’t live without.