If Rani of Haseen Dillruba grew older, it’s possible she’d transform into Rekha of Maa Behen.
In Suresh Triveni’s chickflick, Rekha (Madhuri Dixit) is a widow with a provocative manner and wardrobe full of sleeveless blouses– both scandalize and scare the dutiful wives of Adarsh Colony. None of them speak to her, but whispers of her alleged exploits go around in salacious detail.
The stoic woman with her imaginative side hustles is hysterical when she calls her daughters, Jaya (Triptii Dimri) and Sushma (Dharna Durga) because the corpse of their neighbour, Gupta (Ravi Kishan) is lying in her kitchen, and she needs help to dispose of the body.
Jaya is married to an uncaring man (Shardul Bharadwaj), and spends her days caring for his domineering father and three lookalike brothers. Sushma hopes to become a famous influencer. Much as they squabble with one another, they arrive to calm their mother and deal with the corpse. Calling the police is not an option, because who’d believe the colony’s “dayan?”
Gupta and his family live across the street; when he disappears, his wife (Geetanjali Kulkarni) is suspicious of Rekha. The Gupta daughter Goldie (Rrama Sharma) is about to be married and a missing father does not bode well. When her uncle, Maheshwari (Arunoday Singh), a cop, who had a crush on Jaya drops by to investigate, the Rekha and daughters have a tough time preventing him and the inquisitive Mrs Gupta from searching the house.
There’s comic chaos happening, as Jaya’s husband lands up too and treats the women like his servants; he is also jealous of Maheshwari hanging around his wife. When Jaya gets fed-up and lets him have it with bitter truths and a chappal, it is the funniest scene in the film. Under the guise of respectability, women are oppressed by men and Jaya won’t tolerate it any more.
There is not much happening plot wise, but the Gupta problem keeps growing – a ransom demand, an unexpected visitor, and Rekha’s rising panic. It is clear the film is moving towards the liberation of the three (named after women in the old Nirma washing powder jingle, and the housing colony’s haters being put firmly in their place; the journey till that point is absurd, overwrought and entertaining. Patriarchy is defeated by women in sleeveless blouses and nothing left to fear. Their laughter is now uninhibited and their gait proud.
Tripti Dimri is excellent in a role that gives her so much to do, Madhuri Dixit mostly shoots smouldering looks and enjoys playing a woman who couldn’t care less about what others think of her. That is any woman’s superpower!
Maa Behen
Directed by Suresh Triveni
Cast: Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Dharna Durga, Ravi Kishan
On Netflix
