Sarbajaya (the mother)

The mother was the most fascinating character I thought. This film is not afraid to show her flaws, in particular how she can be cruel to her daughter and to Auntie. But she is nonetheless a very sympathetic character, since we can see the suffering that she endures and we can see the occasions when she is kind and loving.

In a lesser film, this character would be very unsympathetic (and maybe even would be the villain), but it is to the credit of Ray and the filmmakers that her character is instead so vibrant and alive.