There’s a film on Netflix which was released today called Maa Behen, I expected it to be a hilarious crime comedy with a quirky premise, and it was for a brief while, I thought that it had the makings of being an entertaining film. The story is about three women, Rekha, Jaya and Sushma, a mother and her two daughters. Their lives go awry when a man is murdered in the mother’s home. With the situation threatening to wipe them all out, the mother calls both daughters and asks them to help dispose of the body. The rest of the story follows in a blend of comedy, crime, family drama, and mystery that is constantly teasing out the next surprise and trying to maintain a balance between humour and emotion.
Maa Behen has a lot to gain from its concept, which is clearly evident at 2 hours and 7 minutes. I liked the central idea, which was a breath of fresh air compared to the standard crime comedies that depend on unexplicably misinterpreted situations. The setup itself here opens endless possibilities for twists, deception and character conflicts. There’s a lot that can’t be stated outright in the script in the sense that it is obvious, but it was there, and it was making me curious way longer than it should have. Even though some parts of the plot was slow, I wanted to know where the story was going and how these three women were going to get out of the mess that was beyond them.
However, it’s a mixed bag. There are sequences in which everything is working perfectly. The comedic element of the situation settles, the tension plays out and the joke becomes a really funny one. At those times I was 100% absorbed. But there are moments that, at times, the film feels contrived. Some of the comic vignettes seem to have been there for the fun instead of spontaneously developing from the story. They sometimes detract from the flow of the story rather than add to it.
Some of the flashback was a problem for me. Adding depth to the characters, they were sometimes almost absurd. There were some moments however that brought the comedy to the extreme that it was hard to take seriously. One such example is the “parody” of the phrase “Sleep peacefully, now wake up!”. Rather than being smart, it was needlessly stretched and undermined the rest of the film.
Character writing also room for improvement. The movie tells the story of three main female characters, but I did not become emotionally connected to them. Their personalities are developed but not explored in detail enough to make me feel any compassion for what goes on in their struggles. But when something really bad happens the emotions are slightly dampened since the film pushes the audience away. In some cases, characters excuse their own dubious behaviour and I didn’t find this approach to be that compelling.
In terms of performances, there is some great acting and some less than great. In terms of performance, the cast is uneven and interesting. I was the least impressed by Madhuri Dixit’s performance. She overacts when the comedy requires it, as in scenes where it is required to be broad. Because of this, the flashbacks are especially hard to endure. Nevertheless, she does her best when it comes to dramatic moments, and to her credit, she does a great job there. When she needs to be vulnerable or feel, she is effective. That’s not quite so good as the comedy parts, though.
Triptii Dimri’s performance is solid and consistent throughout the movie. The most shocking one though is Dharna Durga. With her background in being an influencer, she has a very confident performance. Never did I feel the feeling of being a part of someone’s first time on screen. She is capable of both comedy and drama and makes an impact. She is one of the film’s assets among a strong cast of principals.
Kritika also makes her character more likeable in some moments, even if not very adeptly, which helps offset some of the weaker writing. Arunoday Singh handles the dialogue he is handed on well, but he doesn’t have enough to make his character stick in the mind. Ravi Kishan’s role is important for the overall story, but he doesn’t get enough screen time. Geetanjali Kulkarni is not a strong performer, but she is not a bad one as well and does her job.
The mystery element is more effective than the suspense. I already knew what the final twist would be a long time before it was revealed, and the ending played out pretty much as I thought it would. Still, the emotional touch which is incorporated near the end is quite effective and adds a nice humanizing dimension to the story. It isn’t a true redeemer of the film’s flaws but it definitely helps to leave the impression for the better.
Maa Behen, in general, is an above average entertainer, which didn’t make full use of its talents. The idea is good and the cast is a diverse but sometimes fascinating group, and the film never fails to be entertaining from start to finish. The comedy is not always funny, the flashbacks are weak and the characters not developed enough, however, and it never has the potential of being something special. With moderate expectations and just an unusual crime comedy for an easy OTT night, there is plenty to keep you entertained here. But, don’t expect a Masterpiece.
If you’re looking for an “adult” film, you won’t find any nude or revealing scenes in the movie.
Rating: 3/5
