I am sure you must have watched Maa Behen starring Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Dharna Durga, Ravi Kishan and Geetanjali Kulkarni in pivotal roles. The film is directed by Suresh Triveni and co-written by Pooja Tolani. The film is a hard-hitting commentary on patriarchy, societal gaze and gender roles, but with a lot of satire to it. In an exclusive conversation with Suresh Triveni, we tried to understand the existing obstacles in pitching and directing films that particularly cater to the female masses or have a female protagonist. The director gave an insightful response. Read our exclusive here.
Suresh Triveni On Obstacles In Pitching, Director Female-Centric Films
The Maa Behen director, Suresh Triveni, is also known for projects like Tumhari Sulu, Jalsa, and Daldal. In a conversation with us, we tried to understand the difficulties that makers face while making films that are primarily female audience-oriented. He said, “When you are sitting in meetings, the cinema is also an expensive medium. There has to be a return on investment. That is where the OTT platforms come into the picture, because there you know your audience, how many women are watching or how many men are watching. The decisions that are made are very conscious. How do you think I am making so many films and series like Jalsa, Daldal, and Maa Behen? I think it’s getting better. Mona Singh is playing a lead in a series; it’s incredible. I feel it’s getting better, not bad.”
Suresh Triveni then spoke about mainstream cinema and said, “Yes, in mainstream cinema or big spectacle cinema, I think there needs to be more around women. But that’s where a film like Lokah, in Malayalam, does wonders. It was a brilliant film.”
Maa Behen is currently streaming on Netflix.