Maa Behen Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Dharna Durga
Director: Suresh Triveni
Maa Behen Movie Review Synopsis:
MAA BEHEN is the story of three women in jeopardy. Rekha (Madhuri Dixit) is a widow who lives all alone in Adarsh Colony. Her elder daughter, Jaya (Triptii Dimri), is married to Manas (Shardul Bhardwaj), while her younger daughter, Sushma (Dharna Durga), stays separately. One night, Rekha calls her daughter while crying inconsolably. When asked why she is howling, Rekha reveals that she mistakenly killed her neighbour, Charitra Kumar Gupta (Ravi Kishan), when he visited her house at night. Jaya and Sushma rush to Adarsh Colony. Rekha claims that she killed him in self-defence, but the police may not believe her account. Hence, they decide to dispose of the body in a nearby canal at night. But that's not possible as Gupta's daughter Goldie (Rrama Sharma) is getting married in a few days, and a 'jagrata' is organised, which will go on until dawn. Meanwhile, Gupta's wife (Geetanjali Kulkarni) is worried as her husband hasn't returned. She informs her police officer brother, Maheshwari (Arunoday Singh), about it, and he starts his investigation. Maheshwari used to secretly love Jaya when they both studied in school and still has feelings for her. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Maa Behen Movie Story Review:
Suresh Triveni and Pooja Tolani's story is quirky and fresh. Pooja Tolani's screenplay is captivating with no dull moments from start to finish. But the writing could have been better and clearer. Pooja Tolani's dialogues are witty, funny and even clapworthy.
Suresh Triveni's direction is decent. He executes the story in a very stylish manner that adds to the fun. The use of the Khalbali TV host (Shreevardhan Trivedi) and the manner in which he introduces the backstories of the three principal characters is quite interesting. Moreover, there’s a solid twist in the first 30 minutes that will catch viewers unawares. It adds an interesting touch and also raises more laughs. Along with humour, the director also makes an important comment on patriarchy and society's mindset, which will be lapped up by the target audience.
On the flipside, the principal plot of the three women trying to clean up their mess and the message come across very well. But the secondary tracks don’t pack the punch in an intended manner. A few aspects regarding the relationship between Rekha, Jaya, and Sushma are confusing. The entire angle of the wine shop and the special appearance of an actor is weak and should have been written and helmed more impactfully. The climax is worth watching, but is also a bit convenient.
Maa Behen Movie Review Performances:
Madhuri Dixit looks like a million bucks and performance-wise, she’s highly entertaining. She has never played a role like this and it’s a zone diametrically opposite from her real-life persona. Yet, she gets into the skin of the character perfectly. Triptii Dimri puts in a superb performance and also raises laughs. Her angry monologue in the middle of the second half is too good. Dharna Durga is a surprise and she maintains a strong performance that too in the presence of Madhuri and Triptii. Ravi Kishan, who’s on a roll, delivers yet another memorable performance. Geetanjali Kulkarni steals the show while Arunoday Singh makes his presence felt. Rrama Sharma is okay. Jatin Sarna (Sukumar) and Paresh Rawal (Chandru Dwivedi) are fine in cameos. Shreevardhan Trivedi is hilarious.
Maa Behen movie music and other technical aspects:
'Kaari Kaari' is the best of the lot, while 'Dhak Dhak Reloaded' is foot-tapping. 'Khol Pinjara' and 'Yeh Kaisi Raat' are forgettable. Subhajit Mukherjee's background score does justice to the film’s quirky zone.
Anuj Rakesh Dhawan's cinematography is appropriate. Ajay H Chodankar and Vipin Kumar's production design are real and yet a bit cinematic. Veera Kapur Ee's costumes are glamorous for Madhuri Dixit and satisfactory for the rest of the characters. Zero Gravity's VFX is fine overall, but tacky in the scenes involving the cat. Dipika Kalra's editing is sharp.
Maa Behen Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, MAA BEHEN is a quirky and entertaining dark comedy that benefits from its novel premise, stylish execution and winning performances. However, the confusing portions, weak subplots and convenient climax prevent it from reaching its full potential, though it still makes for a decent one-time watch for its target audience.