Maa Behen Movie REVIEW: Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Dharna Durga’s ‘Kaand-Filled’ Lives Will Leave You Chuckling

Film:
Maa Behen

Director: Suresh Triveni

Writer: Pooja Tolani

Cast: Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Dharna Durga, Ravi Kishan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Arunoday Singh, Jatin Sarna

Runtime: 127 Minutes (2 Hours, 7 Minutes)

Platform: Netflix

Maa Behen Review

Netflix’s Maa Behen is not your typical Bollywood drama, especially when it comes to the bond shared between a mother and her daughters. This Suresh Triveni directorial – that stars talents like Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri and Ravi Kishan, breaks all norms when it comes to how mothers and motherhood are presented in cinema and conversations about abuse against women in all its forms.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)

Rekha (Madhuri Dixit) is a window who lives in with her daughter Jaya (Triptii Dimri) and Sushma (Jaya Dharna) in an almost run-down house in Adarsh Colony. One night, Rekha – who have a tarnished reputation in society, panic calls her daughter and reveals that their neighbour – Gupta Ji (Ravi Kishan) is lying dead in her house. What follows is a chaotic crime-comedy as lies spiral out of control and suspicions run wild, while the dysfunctional mother-daughter trio attempt to survive their biggest kaand (scandal). But is Maa Behen worth a watch? Read our review to know the answer.

What Works

The bond between the three leading ladies work the best. Add Ravi Kishan’s impeccable bad-guy-but-humourous avatar to the mix and you have yourself a winner.

What Doesn’t Work

The jokes – while funny, don’t always land.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)

Technical Analysis

Direction

Known for films such as Jalsa, Tumhari Sulu, Daldal and Subedaar, Suresh Triveni has once more delivered something we’ve not seen before. He understands women and always tries to bring their problems to life via his cinemas. He’s done so once more by highlighting how society witch-hunts women who have their own voice and want to break free from the moulds society has for them. While the idea and story are enough to win hearts, the execution feels lacking despite the maker being sincere.

Story & Screenplay

Maa Behen is more than what the trailer implied. None of the characters are black or white, they are all grey and as layers of each character peels away, we meet new versions of the same character. The film is well though of and written. The sensuality is very well handled and doesn’t emerge as anything vulgar. The dialogue are well written and witty as ever.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)

Editing

The editing is good but could have been more refined.

Music

The film’s background score and songs are one of its biggest highlights. The music by Akashdeep Sengupta compliments the story well, adding more emotions and layers to the narrative.

Star Cast

‘Dhak-dhak’ girl Madhuri Dixit will surely make hearts skip a beat as the overly sensual Rekha. She’s delivered a fabulous performance that not only sees her character break every mould of motherhood, but do it in an unapologetic manner. Triptii Dimri has once more proved her calibre by delivering a fine performance. She brings Jaya to life with ease and manages to capture all her emotions – the desperation, the hardships, the longing without missing a single beat.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)

Dhaarna Durga manages to holds her own in front of seasoned performers and even shine as brightly as them. The trio share amazing chemistry even when they are (not always) literally at each others throats or yelling.

Ravi Kishan is the best when it comes to playing Gupta Ji and capturing his evil thoughts and emotions. Geetanjali Kulkarni, Arunoday Singh and Jatin Sarna all bring their characters to live with a charm and sincerity not seen often in Bollywood.

Conclusion

Netflix’s Maa Behen is a quirky and fun while also being quite immersive and entertaining. Despite not being constant in delivering all its punchlines, the Suresh Triveni directorial will have you chuckling from time to time and even laughing all out at certain points. The film – which gives off a murder-mystery vibe with its trailer, is a beautiful character driven, women-centric film. As the film is on Netflix, you don’t even need to keep it as a weekend watch, destress tonight itself by giving it a watch.

Watch the trailer of Maa Behen here:

Also Read: Peddi REVIEW: ‘Pahadi Pehelwan’ Ram Charan Shines In Three Distinct Sports Avatars; Janhvi Kapoor, Divyenndu Deliver Massy Performances 

Grinell Jacinto

With nearly 10 years of experience, Grinell Esther Jacinto is the Desk Head of Bollywood Bubble. Her interests lie in everything that is kaleshi and she loves to dig deeper into the lives of B-town actors. She has a problem though – she loves horror films but will have chills the minute the theatres lights dims. She’s previously worked with Koimoi, UrbanAsian and SpotboyE.