'Momagers on a roll'

Being a celebrity mom can be hard enough, but throw in script-reading sessions, movie deals, endorsement offers and all that showbiz jazz and you have “momagers”. No more frowned upon for being “interfering” and “pushy”, these mommies-turned-managers are commanding a new-found respect in Tollywood.


Leaving behind their own established careers, these momagers have taken up a full-time profession — to ensure their star kids get the best deals in tinsel town.
Actor Shriya’s mother Neerja Saran who left her job as a chemistry lecturer to manage her daughter’s career, says, “I quit my job so that I can accompany my daughter. In the first five years of her career, I managed everything for her. Now I’m confident she has learnt the tricks of the trade and has knows how to take care of herself, but I still accompany her on her trips abroad.”


Giving up on a promising career might be a tough choice for a career woman, but their child’s “accomplishment” and “safety” are more important for these momagers than their own careers. Dr Mona, who left her practice to guide daughter Hansika Motwani, says, “When Hansika is shooting out of Mumbai, I handle all her appointments, dates and finances. She is very important to me and so is her career. I ensure she stays fit and I am also a part of all her story sitting sessions.”


Vinay Agarwal, actor Kajal Agarwal’s mother, left her confectionaries and cookies store in Mumbai to cook ghar ka khana for her daughter, pick her scripts, select her costumes and be her critic. “Our family back in Mumbai looks after the business now, while I manage Kajal’s career in Hyderabad. I am with her all the time just to ensure she gets wholesome food. I also manage her daily appointments and give suggestions when it comes to her costumes, but I don’t interfere in other affairs. However, since most directors now are younger and open minded, they take my suggestions in the right spirit,” says Vinay, who plays a perfect hostess to her T’wood friends.
And it’s not just actresses who have moms watching their backs. On-screen heroes like Sushanth too have “momagers” to mentor them. Naga Susheela who is busy listening to scripts, says, “I have no time for interior designing as I’m visiting Sushanth’s sets and selecting his scripts and costumes. He loves having me around, but when he does love scenes, he asks me to leave the sets,” she quips. Her son Sushanth is only too happy. “My mom is from the industry, so her feedback is valuable. She even doles out advice about the set designs and costumes to many filmmakers as she loves interior designing. She is a great moral support,” says Sushanth.