CAST: Madhuri Dixit, Gajraj Rao, Ritwik Bhowmik, Rajit Kapur, Sheeba Chadha, Barkha Singh, Srishti Shrivastava, Ninad Kamat, Simone Singh
DIRECTED BY: Anand Tiwari
Amazon Prime Video’s first Indian original movie Maja Ma, is the story of Pallavi Patel(Madhuri Dixit) , her docile husband Manohar (Gajraj Rao) and her two grown-up children Tejas (Ritwik Bhowmik) and Tara (Srishti Shrivastava).
Maja Ma is the coming out story of Pallavi, played by a graceful Madhuri Dixit. The social drama around which Maja Ma is constructed is created when the caricaturish American couple Hansrajs of Manhattan. Bob (Rajit Kapur), Pam (Sheeba Chadha) and their daughter Esha (Barkha Singh) arrive in Gujarat sending the poor old Patels in a tizzy to host them.
The American couple are so conservative and orthodox that you cannot ascertain whether their demeanor is more orbatious or their fake accent.
Pallavi’s long kept secret is randomly ousted pretty quickly in the movie and the struggle for the protagonist is not in the societal acceptance of her sexuality but her own journey of reckoning of her own self.
In an argument with her gender activist daughter, Pallavi happens to spurt out that she is a lesbian. For some reason, a kid secretly records the video and spreads it on personal and neighbourhood socials.
Another married couple with old links with the Patels walk into the scene pretty randomly. Moolchand Adhia (Ninad Kamat) is Manohar’s long-time friend. Kanchan (Simone Singh) is his pretty wife. Both are key to how the story unfolds.
Though Maja Ma deals with several sensitive themes pertaining to family, sexuality and personal choice it does not offer any nuanced narrative to unravel the loops. Infact, it prefers a boring, easy way out.
Sumit Batheja’s screenplay fails when it becomes too careful about complications arising out of marital misunderstandings and the ramifications of suppressing one’s sexual orientation. He is too careful in the constraints of gaining audience preferable acceptance and steers clear of religious and social irritants- making the story emotionally frivolous.
Madhuri Dixit performs the wide emotional spectrum of her role with the magnificent delicacy despite the fact that there are moments when her dialogues seem not be so convincing.
Gajraj Rao seems similarly trapped in a role where he does not have much latitude. That virgin joke landed well though.
The script does not do any justice to Sheeba Chadha and Rajit Kapur, both brilliant actors. Ritwik Bhowmik ( Bandish Bandits) is great and performs to perfection.
The movie is enjoyable and tries to tackle these very sensitive issues to the best it can.Powered by brilliant actors, the screenplay’s emotional depth does them all bad.
Nevertheless, Madhuri is such a delight to watch on screen.
