Maa Behen is a comedy caper with a dark underbelly. A rough translation of the title, which is Hindi/Urdu slang, means making a mother and sister into one group; it is a derogatory term and implies violence against such a female combination. 

Director Suresh Triveni, who co-wrote the script with Pooja Tolani, navigates this territory by creating a multi-layered story combining traditional values with social media ambitions. The style includes a narrator, a TV series which interjects, both intruding into and explaining the main narrative, and there are also multiple flashbacks. The film is engaging, even slapstick, and uses humour to draw one in.

The film is set in a conservative North Indian Adarsh Colony and illustrates the ingrained patriarchy which sees every woman who is single as a threat to be suppressed. Central to the plot are three women, a mother and her two daughters. The plot reveals that throughout their lives they have faced attack, in particular towards the mother, Retka, played by Madhuri Dixit. This aggression continued towards her elder daughter, Jaya, played by Triptii Dimri, and younger daughter Sushma, played by Dharna Durga. There have been verbal insults, crude graffiti, rumours, isolation and rejection. A mob has even surrounded and tried to destroy their home. Despite everything, the mother refuses to leave. 

The overarching theme is the resilience of these women who respond to bullying with humour and wit. They are very different people, and as the story opens, they are estranged. They only reunite because the mother makes a desperate phone call in the middle of the night, demanding her daughters return home. The reason? She has discovered a corpse in her kitchen. The three women bicker, argue, and disagree, but are united in the attempt to solve the murder and make sure they are not blamed for it. 

The murder is set against the background of wedding preparations for a bride whose front teeth were knocked out by Sushma, and therefore needs a double dowry. In addition, there are a variety of great characters such as a slightly inept policeman who is trying to solve the crime while secretly in love with Jaya, and a self-righteous neighbour who has designs on Retka, watched over by his suspicious wife.  

The energy of the clever script, the fast-moving action, the music and dancing make one nearly forget the stifling patriarchy. But, even when laughing at the farcical nature of the plot, one remains aware of the ever-present threat of repression.

Available to stream on Netflix now