"The moment this story was narrated to me, I connected so very strongly with it as a mother and a human being even though it was so far removed from my own life and experience. I knew then and there that there was no way I could let the opportunity to essay this character pass me by," Asha, 77, said in a statement.

"Maaee" shows what happens when a woman is abandoned by her only son and then goes to live with her daughter and son-in-law. It stars Padmini Kolhapure as her daughter.

The film, to be made in Hindi, is being produced by Nitin Shankar and directed by debutant director Mahesh Kodiyal. It goes on floor in April this year and will be shot entirely in Mumbai.