Director Suresh Triveni succeeds in subverting the usual trope of motherhood. Madhuri Dixit’s Rekha is someone who is unapologetic about her choices. The film does a fine job in exploring a certain gossip culture and society’s judgmental tone. Maa Behen is at its strongest when it focuses on the family dynamics and the evolving bond between the three female protagonists. Not everything lands but Maa Behen makes for an entertaining feminist thriller.
Starcast: Madhuri Dixit Nene, Tripti Dimri, Dharna Durga, Ravi Kishan, Arunoday Singh etc
Genre: Thriller/comedy
Direction and story: Suresh Triveni
Additional story and writer: Pooja Talani
Music: Akshadeep Sengupta
Cinematography: Anuj Rakesh Dhawan
Producers: Vikram Malhotra and Suresh Triveni
Production Companies: Abundantia Entertainment and Opening Image Films
Running time: 2 hours and 7 minutes
Streaming site: Netflix
Indian Cinema has a major tendency of putting mother figures on pedestal. They are presented in a stereotypical manner with no desires of their own in general. Suresh Triveni’s Maa Behen is radically different in its presentation; he is also helped by an uninhibited Madhuri Dixit Nene having an absolute ball. As a film Maa Behen bears a striking resemblance to the 2022 movie Darlings. Just like that movie here too is there a mixture of crime with dark humor. The theme of female autonomy also has a striking parallel. Having said that Maa Behen comes with its distinct identity.
The story of Maa Behen focuses on a non-confirming widow Rekha (a magnetic Madhuri Dixit) Rekha has a certain reputation of being Adarsh Colony’s Daayan because of her lifestyle. Tripti Dimri and Dharna Durga play Rekha’s two daughters. Tripti’s Jaya is stuck in an oppressive marriage, the younger sister on the other hand is an aspiring social media influencer going through her own share of societal judgments. The film takes a dramatic turn with the suppose dead body of Ravi Kishan’s Gupta Ji in Rekha’s house. Rekha calls her two estranged daughters and what follows is a lot of chaos with female bonding
A strong aspect of Maa Behen are its social themes explored through the three women. All the three have important arcs and this makes the movie engaging even when the screenplay get into a major tangle. For example, Tripti Dimri’s character represents the emotional suffering of numerous housewives. There is a lot of pent-up anger coupled with a strained mother and daughter relationship. The sequences between Tripti and Madhuri Dixit gives Maa Behen some of its best moments. As expected Tripti pulls off Jaya’s frustration as well as her rebellion in a solid manner. Her confrontation scene with a suitably despicable Shardul deserves a special mention.
Dharna Durga too makes her presence amply felt. In spite of sharing screen space with the likes of Madhuri Dixit and Tripti she does a wonderful job in conveying a young woman’s yearning for love. Yes, the character’s emotional wounds needed better exploration, but Dharna Durga does a very fine job, nevertheless.
Ravi Kishan’s Gupta ji is another interesting character worthy of mention. His character begins off as a seemingly ordinary neighbor, but the film throws a major surprise in the third act. The gradual unraveling of Gupta ji’s different layers makes the women’s fightback all the more engaging. Arunoday Singh as a police officer and Jaya’s friend brings in the required tension especially in the films latter stages.
Madhuri Dixit though is the emotional anchor of Maa Behen. Her part is a mix of vulnerability and quiet resilience, and the veteran actress is successful in unleashing a different shade of her. Suresh Triveni along with Pooja Talani explore the pedestal of imposed motherhood through Rekha in a successful manner. The small-town setting of Adarsh Colony with the running commentary of Shrivardan Trivedi presents an important social layer of self-appointed moral custodians.
Some of the flaws in Maa Behen include the tonal shift which needed better handling. Also, Guptaji’s family not panicking much and carrying on with the daughter’s wedding celebrations as if nothing has happened feels odd. Also, more groundwork could have been laid for the sudden twist in Guptaji’s character. Lastly Geetanjali Kulkarni as Gupta’s wife needed more heft in terms of charcterization.
Final word: There is no denying that Maa Behen could have been tighter with a more fleshed out screenplay. Nevertheless, for fans of feminist stories this makes for a good watch.