ACTOR Madhuri Dixit Nene recently said she has consistently chosen characters where women have agency and strength. The actor, who will be seen playing a single mother in the upcoming film, Maa Behen, said the movie presents women as powerful individuals. The film, also starring Tripti Dimri and influencer Dharna Durgaa, is directed by Suresh Triveni, the director of films 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, known for roles in films like Tezaab, Hum Aapke Hain Koun!, DilToh Pagal Hai, Devdas, Pukar, and others, said. The crime comedy features Dixit Nene as Rekha, a mother who's already juggling enough until life throws her the ultimate curveball: a dead body in her kitchen. With her two daughters, Jaya (Dimri), the responsible one, and Sushma (Durgaa), the wild card, this trio must think fast, lie faster, and somehow keep their nosy neighbours from sniffing out the truth. Calling the film a story of imperfect people, Dixit Nene said her character navigates societal judgment as a single mother. The actor described her character as a modern woman who shares a dysfunctional relationship with her daughters, yet she is willing to do anything for them. "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. Speaking of the title, Maa Behen, the actor admitted to being completely caught off guard when Triveni first revealed the title of the movie. "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. Maa Behen also stars Ravi Kishan, G e e t a n j a l i K u l k a r n i , A r u n o d a y Singh, and S h a r d u l Bhardwaj in p i v o t a l roles. Triveni said getting the ensemble cast for the movie 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 said Maa Behen is one of the most special films of her career and added that she instantly connected with the script. "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," the actor said. "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 c o m p l a i n but we n e v e r 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. The Dhadak 2 actor added the story of Maa Behen triggered a specific childhood memory of two single, fashionable women in her neighbourhood. "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 spoke about her awe of working alongside Dixit Nene, and shared that the 90s Bollywood actor shed her superstar persona behind the scenes. "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. Whenever we got stuck in a scene or didn't know how to handle a situation, she would step in to help us. It was truly special to work with her," the actor, who featured alongside Dixit Nene in 2024 film, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, added. Maa Behen will make its debut on Netflix on June 4.