- Madhuri Dixit Nene plays a single mother in Maa Behen.
- The film also stars Tripti Dimri and Dharna Durgaa.
- Dixit Nene says she prefers films with strong women characters.
- The movie is directed by Suresh Triveni.
- Maa Behen will release on Netflix on June 4.
Actor Madhuri Dixit Nene said on Friday that she has always tried to choose films where women have powerful and meaningful roles.
The actor spoke about her upcoming film Maa Behen during the trailer launch event held in Mumbai.
The crime comedy stars Dixit Nene as Rekha, a single mother trying to manage her life and family while dealing with an unexpected situation. The film also stars Tripti Dimri and influencer Dharna Durgaa.
The movie is directed by Suresh Triveni, known for films such as Tumhari Sulu, Jalsa, and Subedaar.
“I’ve worked very hard in my acting career. Talking in reference to Maa Behen, I’ve always tried to do films where women have a powerful role. I’m thankful to Survesh (Triveni) and Vikram (Malhotra, producer) that they thought of me for this role, which is completely different for me to do. I’m glad I got to play yet another powerful role,” Dixit Nene said.
The actor is known for films such as Tezaab, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Dil To Pagal Hai, Devdas, and Pukar.
According to the official story description, the film follows Rekha, who is already struggling with daily life when she suddenly finds a dead body in her kitchen.
Her two daughters, Jaya and Sushma, help her deal with the situation. Jaya, played by Dimri, is shown as responsible, while Sushma, played by Durgaa, is more unpredictable. Together, the three women try to protect themselves while hiding the truth from curious neighbors.
Dixit Nene described the film as a story about imperfect people and a dysfunctional family.
“All the women in the film are powerful. It’s a story of a dysfunctional family; there’s nothing perfect, even my character is dysfunctional and not perfect. Like, she stays in a society where single mothers are often looked at differently, she is facing that trouble as people are judgmental,” she said.
She also spoke about the unusual title of the movie. Dixit Nene said she was surprised when director Triveni first told her the film would be called Maa Behen.
“When he narrated the story to me, I asked him, ‘What’s the title of the film?’ and he said, Maa Behen, and for a second, I thought he is kidding, and I laughed. He was just looking at me. I asked him, ‘Is this really the title of the film?’, and he said, ‘Yes’. When I heard the story, I felt this is the apt title,” she said.
The film also stars Ravi Kishan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Arunoday Singh, and Shardul Bhardwaj.
One of Indian Bollywood's most beautiful actresses Madhuri Dixit (L) with her doctor husband Sriram Nene at a wedding reception 18 December, 1999 with select guest from the city's glitterati in attendance in Bombay. The marriage took place 17 October, 1999 in United States and everyone was kept guessing who the lucky man was.Getty Images
Director Triveni said casting the film turned out to be easier than expected.
“We had thought the casting will be tough but the casting of the film was one of the easiest things. I was blessed to have each one of them on board for the film,” he said.
Dimri called “Maa Behen” one of the most special films of her career. She said the script connected with her immediately because of its message about how society judges women.
“When it comes to women, we judge them to the end. I will give an example from my life that we just put mothers in a bracket that she got this responsibility or this her role (in life), be it in films or in real life,” she said.
The actor also shared a personal memory about her mother.
“I’ve seen how when my mother fell ill and couldn't cook food or do anything which she couldn't on the daily basis, we used to complain but we never looked at the human side of it.
"Now that we've grown up and talk to her, she shares her struggle stories with us, which brings tears to my eyes thinking about how we didn't see her human side earlier. I think that goes for everybody, all the women, especially where we are judged like that,” she said.
Dimri also remembered two fashionable single women from her childhood neighborhood who were judged unfairly by society.
“…They were called with different names, people would tell us don't be friends with them, don't go near their house, it's dangerous, it stayed with me somewhere.
When ‘Maa Behen’ came along, it was the image of those two girls that I had in my mind. I was like, ‘I’ve to be a part of this film’. We the society, judged them for no reason, and if I could give a chance to apologize to them, I think this is my chance.”
Dimri also praised Dixit Nene and said working with her was a special experience.
“I couldn’t believe that I was sharing screen space with Madhuri ma'am. While the camera setups were being prepared, we would play antakshari together in a room.
She is an amazing human being and incredibly inspiring. I never felt like I was working with a massive superstar, she treated us like daughters and friends,” she said.
Producer Vikram Malhotra said the film continues the company’s focus on stories led by women characters.
“Maa Behen” will premiere on Netflix on June 4.
