Netflix’s new Hindi feature film Maska has managed to satisfy all our weekend watchlist cravings with a generous serving of love churned in a whole lot of family drama and a pinch of comedy. 

The film also bought back our childhood girl-crush Manisha Koirala. And this time she is back as a middle-aged Parsi single-mother who has effortlessly juggled between running her 100-year-old Irani Cafe and raising her stubborn son, Rumi. 

With her on-point Parsi accent and a salt and pepper lob, Diana is on a mission to stay connected to her roots and preserve her Parsi heritage. It’s amazing to see Manisha Koirala slay this role of a single mother who’s fighting to keep her legacy alive. 

Even though Diana was a tough cookie who didn’t quite approve of her son’s dream of becoming an actor, she still supported him in her own ways, just like every other desi mom. She was there for him emotionally and financially. 

She understood his dream, even when he was selfish enough to ignore her needs when she was growing old. 

With her flawless expressions and on-point dialogue delivery, Manisha’s acting has managed to rope us in, on her side. Gradually, you start to make sense of her tough love and understand that Diana is just a softie who wants what’s best for her son. 

The finesse with which Manisha Koirala has managed to perfectly balance aspects of being a mother and a successful entrepreneur has left us awestruck. 

With her unconditional tough love and her on-point portrayal of a strong yet selfless mother, Manisha Koirala’s character made us see the other side of what goes behind parenting. BRB, calling my parents right away.