`Maa Behen,` a rather derogatory slur used for generations as an abuse, now gets a comedic yet dark twist with Suresh Triveni`s latest film. Madhuri Dixit plays Rekha, the mother, Triptii Dimri plays Jaya, the elder sister, while Dharna Durga plays Sushma, the younger one. The three take on the roles of maa and behens, respectively, to hide a death at their home.
Rekha is the sultry neighbourhood lady, who has the entire colony`s men and boys drooling over her. After her husband dies early, she`s all by herself to take care of her daughter. Before you assume, no, she`s not the `abla naari` one would expect. She`s instead a confident, knows her worth, and cares very less about what people think of her. Years later, she has a second illegitimate daughter with an unknown man, whom she genuinely loves.
Jaya is the good girl, married into a respected family, bearing with her oh-so-annoying husband, Manas (Shardul Bhardwaj), just to stay away from her mother`s non-so-respectable reputation. Sushma is the illegitimate child, blinded by the love of her father, whom she has never seen. Funny and quite essentially the younger sibling, Sushma is the social media maniac, desperate for virality and increase followers, ready to go to any length. She even records a lip-lock video and uploads it online to go viral, only to add to the disgrace to her and her mother`s name.
The estranged daughters come running when their mother calls them in the middle of the night, crying about their neighbour, Gupta Ji (Ravi Kishan), lying dead in their house. Jaya and Sushma`s reunion and their silly fights bring nostalgic laughs as you remember fighting with your siblings in childhood. Just when the three are planning to dispose of the Gupta Ji`s body, comes the twist. All this is happening while Gupta`s daughter`s wedding preparations are underway.
The story unfolds layer-by-layer, and there are more layers than you imagine. It makes you laugh, genuinely in most places, but awkwardly and guiltily in others. Just when you think you know what`s happened that night, secrets keep unfolding one after the other. The entire chain of suspense and twists keeps you engaged right till the end, giving no space for a dull moment to sneak in.
Madhuri Dixit nails the Bihari accent and mannerisms with ease. She is convincing as Rekha, the dramatic and loving mother. Triptii Dimri does a decent job as a girl stuck in all her conditions, until she explodes. The showstealer, however, is Dharna Durga, who keeps you wanting to see more and more of her on screen. A surprise package, truly.
Ravi Kishan does what he does best. Shardul Bhardwaj makes you love hating him on screen. Arunoday Singh as Inspector Maheshwari, Jaya`s childhood friend and Gupta Ji`s brother-in-law, does his part well too. And if you`re wondering, Hema from the famous Hema, Rekha, Jaya, aur Sushma quadro was missing, the climax will answer you.
Maa Behen presents a dark comedy with a pinch of introspection. While a dark comedy thriller is what you essentially see, it questions your perspective towards women, who have no so-called reputation in society. The film is a good watch with a strong story, good performances and a fair number of plot twists to keep you hooked.