Director: Suresh Triveni and Screenplay: Pooja Tolani, mother sister is a chaotic Hindi dark comedy that was recently released on Netflix. It stars Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Dharna Durga and Ravi Kishan in the lead roles. The film follows Rekha (Dixit) and her daughters Jaya (Dimri) and Sushma (Durga) as they attempt to cover up a crime in a typical Indian colony, amid panic, confusion and the presence of an unconscious man in their home. However, amidst all the chaos, Maa Behen raises a serious question: What happens when women stop behaving the way society expects them to?
The title sets the tone; it alludes to the gender-specific maa-behen insults in Hindi that are commonly used in everyday speech. By using this title for a film directed by women, Maa Behen draws attention to the women who hide behind such gendered abuse: the mother, the sister and the daughter, whose identities are often reduced to casual insults and used ruthlessly.
In Indian society, mothers are expected to be give unconditionally. A mother is expected to nurture, protect, and forgive her family. Your anger is never seen as reasonable, just an overreaction. Any mistakes she makes are treated as failures of motherhood itself. Within this patriarchal definition, Rekha is a flawed mother.
Jaya and Sushma represent the different pressures placed on daughters. Jaya seems to bear the burden of patriarchal respectability and the “conformity” expected of women. Sushma brings a sense of unrest to the narrative through her desire to be seen and acknowledged. Her relationship with Rekha is not easy. There is distance, resentment and old emotional pain. But when a crisis occurs, they are drawn back into the family mess. This is a familiar pattern in many Indian families, where family members are expected to return whenever emotional labor is required.
The narrative view around Rekha
The most interesting aspect of the film is how the narrative shapes our view of Rekha right from the start. We are not allowed to meet them freely; We understand her through the flattened version of her that the story initially presents to us. Her clothing, particularly her sleeveless blouse, and her appearance are presented in a way that encourages quick assumptions about her. We watch them with the same suspicion as our neighbors. We get so caught up in this misogynistic narrative that we stop making our own independent judgments.
Rekha (Madhuri Dixit) in a scene from Maa Behen. Image source: Abundance Entertainment/Opening Image Films
Rekha is seen through the eyes of the film’s patriarchal world as a woman who is hiding something. She is often referred to as a Daayan (witch). This isn’t far from how society often views women, especially single women. Women are rarely seen for who they are; Instead, they are seen through stories that family and neighbors tell about them based on their marital status, their role as mothers, and their performance as respectability. Through the character Rekha, the film shows how easily a woman’s identity can be shaped by such misogynistic narratives and rumors. The neighbors and the larger community represent a gaze that sexualizes Rekha while simultaneously questioning her morals because she is being sexualized.
In many Indian neighborhoods, women are closely monitored. What they wear, how they speak when they return home, whether they are married, whether they are good daughters or daughters-in-law and whether they are “too loud”, “too modern” – everything becomes a matter of public judgment.
In many Indian neighborhoods, women are closely monitored. What they wear, how they speak when they return home, whether they are married, whether they are good daughters or daughters-in-law and whether they are “too loud”, “too modern” – everything becomes a matter of public judgment. Rekha, a widow, is just trying to make a living and raise her two children after losing her husband at the age of 25. However, she is given no chance of success. All her attempts to lead a normal life are thwarted by the misogyny of the society around her. Rekha is reduced to her beauty, youthful looks and clothing and seen as little more than these attributes.
The more tangible threat to Rekha, however, is her neighbor Guptaji (Kishan), a man who is highly respected in the colony. His public image protects him and allows him to evade responsibility, while Rekha’s reputation is already tarnished by distrust. Rekha pushes him in self-defense when he attacks her, injuring him and leaving him unconscious on the floor. Rekha, Jaya and Sushma decide to hide him for a few days until they can get their affairs in order.
When a woman defends herself, society questions her version of events: what she was wearing, why she was alone, and why the man was there in the first place. Proving that she hasn’t violated the patriarchal norms of female respectability becomes a paramount priority.
They know from experience that the truth will not protect them. In some ways, the women are more afraid of the way the story is told than of the crime itself. When a woman defends herself, society questions her version of events: what she was wearing, why she was alone, and why the man was there in the first place. Proving that she hasn’t violated the patriarchal norms of female respectability becomes a paramount priority. Therefore, there is not only fear of the law, but also of social stigma and reputational damage.
Rekha (Madhuri Dixit), Sushma (Durga) and Jaya (Dimri) in a scene from Maa Behen. Image source: Abundantia Entertainment/Opening Image Films
Meanwhile, the colony begins searching for Gupta. The situation becomes even more complicated when his family receives a ransom call, even though Rekha and her daughters are not responsible. This twist shows that Rekha is not the only woman who wants to escape the oppressive patriarchy that shapes her surroundings. It later turns out that the ransom call came from Gupta’s daughter Goldy, alias Hema. She uses her father’s disappearance as an opportunity to escape a forced marriage and realize her dream of becoming a singer.
The politics behind the “bad woman”
The stories of all four women in the film are connected by the same thread of patriarchal control. Rekha tries to escape society’s constant control, Jaya wants to free herself from a suffocating marriage, Sushma wants to freely pursue her dreams and Goldy wants to escape a forced marriage.
Although their situations may seem different on the surface, they are united by a common desire for freedom and self-determination. Their struggles stem from a social structure that expects women to obey, conform and withdraw.
Although their situations may seem different on the surface, they are united by a common desire for freedom and self-determination. Their struggles stem from a social structure that expects women to obey, conform and withdraw. Jaya’s confrontation with her husband, in which she decides to leave him, is one of the most emotional moments of the film, as it challenges the conventional ideal of the “good wife” and marks the moment when Jaya finally chooses herself over social respectability.
Jaya (Dimri) in a scene from Maa Behen. Image source: Abundantia Entertainment/Opening Image Films
At the end of the film, all four women can act more freely and unencumbered by patriarchal constraints. The ending of Maa Behen conveys a simple but crucial message: women can take back their power when they realize they have nothing to lose in a society that has already shunned them.
When Gupta flees and seeks revenge, Rekha and her daughters plan to expose him. However, Gupta believes that if they expose him, they will also expose themselves. He argues that her reputation will be damaged just as much as his, perhaps even more so than his. The women laugh at this, indicating that they must not lose a reputation that society has never given them. This realization only gives them more strength.
In the end, Gupta’s image as a respectable man collapses in front of his family when they learn the truth about him, and the power he once had over Rekha begins to crumble. Jaya leaves her unhappy marriage, Sushma continues to pursue her passion, Goldy escapes a forced marriage and Rekha finally defies the society that has long judged and excluded her.
Sushma (Durga), Rekha (Madhuri Dixit) and Jaya (Dimri) in a scene from Maa Behen. Image source: Abundantia Entertainment/Opening Image Films
Maa Behen challenges us to rethink who is considered a “bad woman” and why. A bad woman is simply a woman who has ceased to be useful to the patriarchy. She refuses to tolerate humiliation, refuses to protect a man’s reputation, or refuses to keep the family’s secrets to herself. Women begin to take back their power when they stop appearing “good” and “respectable” for a society that has never served them. Unlike the end of the film, women in real life don’t always get justice or what they deserve. Many women are punished if they expose violence. Still, Maa Behen offers an important message: solidarity between women is more important than anything else. The film reminds us that women’s resistance in the face of an unjust, patriarchal society is sometimes the most important thing.
Shivani Kenya is a Ph.D. Scientist at Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, KKBirla Goa campus. Her doctoral research focuses on understanding parentification and dysfunctional dynamics between parent-child relationships. She is driven by a strong desire
Deepen your understanding of the human mind and its connection to the world. Her passions include cooking, traveling and exploring different facets of life.
