Mentalhood Teaches Us The True Meaning Of “It Takes A Village To Raise A Child”

‘It takes a village to raise a child’ is an African proverb which means that a safe and healthy environment for a child is created by multiple contributors, not just the parents. The proverb is quite applicable to our Indian mothers, who are considered solely responsible for raising their children. ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ is a proverb that Indians need to take to heart. The ZEE5 Original web series, Mentalhood,  five supermoms and one stay-at-home dad and their journey of parenthood. It revolves around the real hardships of a mother faces while raising her kids and the invaluable support she needs, not just from her family, but from other moms as well. The emotional series features Karisma Kapoor, Dino Morea, Shilpa Shukla, Shruti Seth, Sandhya Mridul, and Tillotama Shome in pivotal roles.

Watch the trailer here:

Karisma Kapoor plays the role of Meira Sharma, Sanjay Suri plays Meira’s husband, Dino Morea plays stay-at-home dad Aakash Fernandes, Sandhya Mridul plays Anuja “Momzilla” Joshi, Shilpa Shukla plays the workaholic mother Namrata, Shruti Seth plays boho mom Diksha, and Tillotama Shome plays pushover mom Preity. The 3-minute long Mentalhood trailer gives us a gist of the day-to-day activities shenanigans dealt with by these mothers. Meira has the responsibility of three kids and by the end of the day, she says, “Every day is madness in a mom’s life. It’s not motherhood, it’s mentalhood.”

In the promo, the story of the six supermoms takes a significant turn and they have to deal with sensitive issues including molestation, bullying, domestic violence, gender identity, etc. In the show, when Namrata faces an issue in her relationship with her husband, the latter tells her that she will not be able to handle their daughter Shaysta alone as she is a working mother. Meira, Preity, Diksha, and AJo come together in support of Namrata and say that, “It takes a village to raise a child and we are the village.”

Mentalhood has given us several instances where the proverb has been proved right. For instance, when Aakash Sharma’s daughter is molested, the five supermoms support him unconditionally. The situation is handled by the PTA council and the school together. Moreover, Aakash’s daughter is taken care of by the supermoms, who make her understand the meaning of good and bad touch. This instance highlights that not just the parents or extensive family, but teachers, friends, neighbors are instrumental in grooming and raising children. A child not only needs proper care but also a shoulder to lean on.

Well, after watching Mentalhood, one can surely say that the rules of parenting have changed. The series appreciates the efforts of mothers and their struggles through a mixed bag of emotions and personal motherhood mantras. Have you watched Mentalhood yet? What is your take on it? Do let us know in the comments section below.