3.0/5
Movies launched within the latest previous, like Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and Badhaai Do have been bringing the problems confronted by the LGBTQ neighborhood to the fore. Whereas the above movies have been about younger individuals popping out of the closet and looking for acceptance, Maja Ma centres round a center aged Gujarati housewife Pallavi (Madhuri Dixit), who inadvertently will get outed as a lesbian in entrance of her household. Whereas her son Tejas (Ritwik Bhowmik), who’s all set to marry a wealthy NRI (Barkha Singh), takes the revelation as a slur on his honour, daughter Tara (Srishti Shrivastava), who has all the time championed the rights of the neighborhood regardless of being hetrosexual, finds a righteous trigger near dwelling. Her docile husband Manohar (Gajraj Rao), in the meantime, feels that this revelation has solid aspersions on his manhood. Tejas’ whiter than white can be in-laws Rajit Kapur and Sheeba Chadha, who speak Hindi with the broadest Manhattan accent there’s, wish to name off the engagement. How the scenario rights itself kinds the crux of the story.
Maja Ma tries to carry various things into its fold. Center class mores collide with the woke mentality within the movie. We see a lie detector check being achieved on one hand and on the opposite, we’re advised that it’s as much as the person to disclose particulars about herself, as and when she sees match. Does sexuality relate to the physique or to the center? It’s love which everybody, regardless of their sexualty, is in the end looking for and that must be the broader perspective. Marriage isn’t simply the union of two our bodies. It additionally requires companionship and friendship and that’s one of many teachings of the movie.
The movie oscillates between indifference and sympathy, symbolised by Pallavi’s two kids. Whereas Tejas needs to ‘treatment’ his mom of her illness, Tara needs her to reside life on her phrases, society be damned. Pallavi realises that being a dutiful spouse and a loving mom has suppressed her sense of self. And that she lets to precise that first earlier than coming to phrases together with her true sexual id.
Rajit Kapur and Sheeba Chadha are wonderful actors and rise above the caricaturish roles they’ve been given. Sheeba, specifically, has a redeeming second when she provides up her American twang to chastise her husband in chaste Punjabji. Barkha Singh performs the best lady – one who loves her dad and mom with out being judgemental and sticks together with her boyfriend it doesn’t matter what. It’s a vanilla character which she has performed with vigour, infusing it with some color within the course of. Srishti Shrivastava too is taking part in to a sort, although she infuses a lot sincerity to her function of a insurgent with no trigger. Gajraj Rao has performed the befuddled, good-natured partner umpteenth instances and might now do such roles in his sleep. The movie is kind of a face-off between the mom and the son. Ritwik Bhowmik is a pure match because the loving son who takes time to come back to phrases with the brand new truths about his mother’s life. The love he feels is palpable and so is his selfishness.
Simone Singh’s temporary function as Pallavi’s childhood pal brings a breath of recent air to the proceedings. Her interactions with Madhuri are the very best factor concerning the movie and we want there have been extra of their scenes collectively. Madhuri Dixit depends on tons of her expertise as an actor to do justice to her function. She hasn’t let the weak script stymie her efforts and rises above it to offer a command efficiency as soon as extra. Her love for her household, her angst for dwelling a lie for therefore lengthy, her want for acceptance – all get articulated via her eyes and physique language. She’s the glue which holds the movie collectively. We neglect its a number of cringe-worthy moments solely due to her presence.
The movie, which is saying such an necessary factor, might have been made with a bit of extra sensitivity. That it’s nonetheless watchable is because of Madhuri Dixit, who makes all of it appear plausible.
Trailer : Maja Ma
Rachana Dubey, October 6, 2022, 3:30 AM IST
3.5/5
STORY: Pallavi, a faithful housewife and a doting mom, is confronted with buried truths from her previous. The narrative revolves round how she embraces sure realities, pivotal to her character and sense of self, and its influence on her close to and expensive ones.
REVIEW: Pallavi Patel (Madhuri Dixit), is a sleek dancer, a dutiful spouse and a particularly devoted mom. Her son Tejas, whereas pursuing a profession within the US, falls in love with an NRI Punjabi lady, Esha (Barkha Singh). Regardless of doubt and hesitation, her dad and mom, Pam and Bob (Sheeba Chadha and Rajit Kapoor), comply with the match and resolve to satisfy Pallavi and her husband Manohar (Gajraj Rao). The scenario activates its head when a nasty hearsay about Pallavi spreads like wildfire and places her son’s engagement within the dock. What transpires after that adjustments everybody’s course of life endlessly.
Author Sumit Batheja and director Anand Tiwari show a novel strategy whereas narrating a narrative about two lesbian lovers who come out to their households 30 years into their marriages. With out utilizing any sexual innuendos or below-the-belt jokes and gags, the duo comes up with a reliable narrative that feels extraordinarily relatable and simple on the senses. The dialogues are on level – not too dramatic and never minimize and dry. The movie makes a acutely aware effort to navigate the inner conflicts that numerous characters really feel, with Pallavi’s sudden revelation, with care and sensitivity. The problem that Tara and Tejas really feel whereas making an attempt to just accept their mom’s sexual desire, gender dynamics, the absence of intercourse in marriages, social and cultural conditioning of households and people, and Pallavi’s dilemma that pulls her into quite a few instructions always are simply a number of the lanes that the movie meanders in.
However in latest instances, one has seen a number of tales about people popping out to their family members and discovering gradual acceptance (Bai, Fashionable Love – Mumbai on the identical platform). The dialog right here might have simply gone past that; there was scope for it. The movie has a lot of parts which can be applaudable, however there’s nonetheless one thing that feels amiss on the finish. In all probability, it’s the conveniences used, and a happy-in-the-hood form of an ending for Pallavi and her lover, Kanchan (Simone Singh). A extra practical conclusion would have elevated the fabric far more. Additionally, the tempo of the movie feels extremely sluggish on a number of events which ought to have been appeared into extra rigorously.
The movie has a fantastic setting and blends within the vibrancy of Gujarat throughout Navratri very well. The camerawork is neat. The gown division makes each character look putting – a number of instances even when it’s not wanted in a scene. The music is strictly okay.
The movie places the highlight on Madhuri Dixit, nearly solely. And he or she delivers a assured and lived-in efficiency. Her skill to emote together with her eyes and her expressions is gorgeous. Gajraj Rao effortlessly performs Manohar; he’s extraordinarily likable and funky. Ritwik Bhowmik as Tejas, and Srishti Shrivastava as Tara choose up the emotional beats of their characters effectively. Simone, Rajit, Sheeba, Barkha and Ninad wanted some extra heft to their characters. Rajit, Sheeba and Barkha’s accents don’t create the precise impact however their effort to get in sync with the fabric is clear.
All in all, ‘Maja Ma’ is a cool household watch, which feels very relatable, at instances in methods that may tough to place into phrases.
