The latest Netflix offering Maa Behen has a running time of 2 hours and 7 minutes. At the outset, the title itself sounds like a cuss word commonly used in India. Can this movie be called a funny adventure? Was it about murder, or was it about kidnapping? The answer is none of the above. However, the movie’s style is strictly raunchy.
The plot revolves around a chain of events that unfolds over 48 hours in two contrasting houses (opposing in both location and social stature) within a gated colony. Guptaji (Ravi Kishen) occupies one house and has been wanting possession of the neighbouring house for years.
A widow infamous for her easygoing reputation – Maa Behen movie review
That house belongs to Rekhaji (Madhuri Dixit), a widow infamous for her easygoing reputation. She has two daughters who do not live with her: Jaya (Tripti Dimri), who is married, and Sushma (Dharana), a YouTuber. Both are rumoured to be illegitimate. The movie takes a turn when Rekha invites Guptaji to her house to discuss and settle a financial misappropriation matter.
Then things quickly spiral out of control and head downhill from there, prompting a scared Rekha to call both her daughters to help her. In the end, “aal iz well.” For instance, in between, simply to add a forced dose of laughter, we get an India’s Most Wanted-style narrator who attempts to drive the story forward. Additionally, Jaya’s in-laws and her good-for-nothing husband are reduced to mere caricatures.
Madhuri Dixit fails to impress in Maa Bahen
While the movie starts with promise, it ends up being a complete waste of time. Mounted on a low-budget canvas, it is hard to imagine Madhuri playing such a character. Converselyt, she has gracefully played darker, murderous roles on OTT platforms in the past, here she appears a bit cheap and aged.
Moreover, Paresh Rawal is utterly wasted in a nanosecond role that anyone could have played. In fact, all characters except for the three leading ladies look out of depth and out of place. Intended to be a comedic murder caper, it turned out to be neither.
Blending dark comedy, crime, and poignant family drama, the film delves into themes of freedom, societal judgment, and the enduring bond between a mother and her daughters. If you are strictly looking for a bright spot, Tripti Dimri does manage to stand out.
– Review by PAWAN GUPTA
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Cast of Maa Behen:
Madhuri Dixit as Rekha (Jaya and Sushma’s mother)
Triptii Dimri as Jaya (Sushma’s elder sister)
Dharna Durga as Sushma (Rekha’s youngest daughter)
Ravi Kishan as Charitra Gupta (Neighbour)
Geetanjali Kulkarni as Gupta Aunty
Arunoday Singh as Maheshwari
Jatin Sarna as Rekha’s husband
Paresh Rawal as Sushma’s biological father
Shardul Bhardwaj as Manas (Jaya’s husband)
Rrama Sharma as Hema
Javed Khan
Arpit Singh
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Credits of Maa Behen:
Directed by Suresh Triveni
Written by Pooja Tolani
Story by Suresh Triveni, Pooja Tolani
Produced by Vikram Malhotra, Suresh Triveni
Cinematography – Anuj Rakesh Dhawan
Edited by Dipika Kalra
Songs by: Akashdeep Sengupta
Score: Subhajit Mukherjee
Production companies – Abundantia Entertainment, Opening Image Films
Distributed by Netflix
