Sonali Kulkarni's 'Like Maa' First Look Poster Opens Up a Raw Conversation on Mothers and Daughters

A poster can say a lot without saying much at all - and that's exactly what's happening with 'Like Maa', the new short film headlined by Sonali Kulkarni. The film's first look dropped recently, and it's already got people talking about what might be its most compelling subject yet: the complicated, often invisible ways mothers shape their daughters.

Directed, written and produced by Neeru Sharma, the 23-minute film unfolds inside an upper-middle-class household and centers on Anjana, a homemaker played by Kulkarni. But this isn't just another story about a mother and her teenage daughter navigating the usual friction. Sharma seems more interested in something quieter and harder to name - the beliefs, fears and conditioning we absorb from our parents without ever realizing it, and then pass along ourselves.

Kulkarni has spoken about what pulled her toward the role, and it wasn't the character alone. It was the honesty baked into the script. She's described being struck by how sensitively the subject is handled, and how Sharma's approach gives the film a warmth that feels genuinely human rather than preachy.

The poster itself plays it close to the chest, offering mood over plot. It hints at love, fear, and the emotional residue that gets handed down through generations - without giving away where the story actually goes. That restraint seems intentional, and it's doing its job: curiosity is building.

Rounding out the cast are Mehdi Khan, Mehan Soni, Smita Inamdar, Aishwarya Manohar, Hisha Joshi, Nandini Sharma, Komal Khimsaria and Ayaz Khan.

Behind the camera, the film comes from Niruvana Creations, produced by Rajiv Parashar. Aakash Sethi handles cinematography, Sandeep Kurup edits, Kaushal Mahavir scores the music, and Rucha Deoghar leads production design.

With just one poster out, 'Like Maa' has already positioned itself as the kind of short film that lingers - the sort that might send viewers straight into their own memories of their mothers, and the things they never quite said out loud.