Maa Behen Review: Smart Writing, Unconventional Female Characters Make This Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri Film A Worthwhile Watch!
Maa Behen is directed by Suresh Triveni and co-written by Pooja Tolani. Read our review here.
3.5 / 5
It’s quite rare to get female characters right! There is always a stereotypical way of writing them; therefore, only some of them stay with us. But Suresh Triveni’s Maa Behen, starring Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, and Dharna Durga, is different because all the female characters are memorable. They instantly grab your attention, and this crime-comedy takes you through a rollercoaster ride, but it is not devoid of bumps. Here’s a quick review if you are planning to watch this Netflix film. Read on.
Plot
Maa Behen revolves around three female leads: Rekha (Madhuri Dixit) and her daughters, Jaya (Triptii Dimri) and Sushma (Dharna Durga). Each of them has their own backstories, which are narrated during the film, one at a time. However, what’s common about this Maa-Behen trio is that none of them conforms to the traditional expectations of society.
Durga calls her daughters after Gupta Ji (Ravi Kishan) dies at her house. The daughters rush to help, but the suspense about the chain of events that led to such a horrifying incident remains intact till the end. The screenplay, co-written by Pooja Tolani, uses this crime thriller to make a sharp and satirical commentary on the male gaze, patriarchy, society’s perspective about a woman owning her sexuality, and leading life on her own terms. Geetanjali Kulkarni plays Gupta Ji’s wife, and Arunoday Singh plays a cop and Gupta Ji’s brother-in-law.
Writing And Screenplay
NGL, I enjoyed the narrative and screenplay of Maa Behen. Firstly, it has so many likeable elements, and all of them come together to make it a worthwhile watch. Movies with a strong and relevant messaging around women can often become preachy and overdone, but the makers have brilliantly avoided this here. In a crime drama, the comedy and satire are added through dialogue and interesting characters. But the innovative way of storytelling keeps our attention throughout, except in a few places. The story keeps oscillating between Gupta Ji’s death and the kidnapping mystery, and the conflicts that each female character deals with. The backstories of Rekha, Jaya and Sushma are smoothly incorporated in the narrative, to use a fictional crime thriller show, Khalbali, for this was quite a smart move.
Characters
The characters are the strongest part of Maa Behen. If you are bored with watching the same kind of female conflicts and stereotypical women on-screen, which clearly do not come with enough layers, Maa Behen will be a relief. Rekha’s sleeveless blouse becomes symbolic of her modernity and the broad school of thoughts. Through her character, the film makes a subtle yet loud commentary about how a blouse becomes enough for society to box her into labels of bad Woman, witch and the thousand other words used to shame women who refuse to conform. But the character undergoes a powerful and impactful arc when the gaze shifts in the narrative. A similar formula is followed for Jaya and Sushma.
Another interesting aspect about the characters is how the mother-daughter trio goes through an internal family conflict, judging each other for their choices. This can also be seen as a reflection of how patriarchy conditions women to police not just themselves but each other too, and have the same kinds of expectations that align with the society. Well, it gives a huge satisfaction to see them break through the shackles of this narrow mindset and accept their individuality and flaws.
Even Geetanjali Kulkarni’s character is the traditional yet authoritative housewife, quite aware of his husband’s actions and worth. The character is unintentionally funny and drops thought-provoking dialogues here and there. The film successfully manages to play around with the shallow ego that men carry, and how their only fear is harm to their public image.
Also Read: Maa Behen Trailer: Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri’s Dark Comedy Promises Chaos And Fun. We’re Seated!
Performances
Madhuri Dixit as the bold, loud, modern, and charming Rekha fits the role perfectly. She not only manages to play the character’s sensual side with so much grace, but the actor flawlessly channels Rekha’s anger and frustration with the rigid societal expectations.
Triptii Dimri as Jaya is effortless. Her arc is distinctive. Jaya’s calm and sane nature initially adds a sense of practicality to the plot in the chaos around her. However, her arc unfolds convincingly to justify the rage, borne from years of disappointment and unmet expectations in a marriage, which she was also surviving to maintain her reputation in society.
Dharna as Sushma, the influencer whose sole purpose is not to lose followers and maintain her virality on social media, is a delight to watch on screen. I can still hear the “Mummyyyyy” in which Dharna sincerely captures the emotion of this word. She is funny and quirky throughout!
Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri and Dharnaa also get the UP accent right, and the camaraderie shared between them organically flows through the run time.
Ravi Kishan plays the adamant, “manly,” self-absorbed Gupta Ji, who thinks that shaming and threatening women is enough to get his work done. And the actor plays this role in all sincerity. I hated the character, and that’s half the job done. Geetanjali Kulkarni made sure to get the laughs right with perfect comic timing. The actor maintained the blurry line of not letting her character look caricaturish and yet absolutely nailing the over-the-top moments written for her. Even Jaya’s husband, Manas, played by Shardul Bhardwaj, understood the assignment and delivered a memorable screen presence.
Flaws
The story lags in some moments when I genuinely felt the need for an interval. This is mostly because the narrative has multiple elements to offer simultaneously, which can become overwhelming after a point. There is constant chaos, loud character moments that don’t let the narrative give you a breather.
Ravi Kishan’s Gupta Ji is a character who felt a little undercooked and deserved more screen presence for his story. His plot comes very late in the film, thus delivering a comparatively lesser impact.
Verdict
The writing and characters of Maa Behen are worth all the appreciation. This gives the actors a lot of potential to stand out with each of their respective characters, and that’s exactly what they deliver! It may feel stretched in bits and parts due to the overload of elements. Everything aside, Suresh Triveni gives an engaging film on women, about women, and the female characters finally get justice. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.
First Published: June 04, 2026 4:53 PM
