Mumbai: Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit is earning accolades for her performance in ‘Maa Behen’, a film that explores the pressures of societal judgement and moral policing.
Her character in the movie is repeatedly criticised for wearing sleeveless blouses, highlighting the scrutiny women often face over their appearance and choice of dresses.
Drawing parallels with the film’s theme, Madhuri reflected on her own experiences from the early stages of her career, revealing that she was often criticised for being “too skinny.”
Speaking to News18, Madhuri said: “You’re a public figure. You’re putting yourself out there. There will, of course, be some comments coming your way that yeh aisi hai, yeh waisi hai. When I had started out, they thought I was too skinny. They would be like, isko kuch khilaao (feed her something). When it comes to these things, people are very quick to judge. They judge you for putting on weight, they judge you if you’ve lost weight.”
Madhuri revealed that dealing with such comments was relatively easier in those days, as there was no internet or social media to troll and spread negativity.
“But I believe that one has to take these things in one’s stride and not pay too much attention to them. Today, because of social media and the anonymity that comes with it, people can say anything. But one should be more focused on what they’re doing and what they’re passionate about and enjoy and love doing. The idea is to love yourself,” the actress said.
Helmed by Suresh Triveni, ‘Maa Behen’ also features Triptii Dimri, Dharna Durga and Ravi Kishan in prominent roles.
‘Maa Behen’ centres around Rekha (played by Madhuri), a single mother who calls her daughters, Jaya and Sushma, in the middle of the night after discovering their neighbour Gupta (played by Ravi Kishan) dead inside their home.
The shocking incident sets off a tense and chaotic chain of events as the three women scramble to decide their next move.
The film, streaming on Netflix, has garnered praise from both critics and viewers for its engaging narrative and performances. It has also emerged as one of the platform’s top-performing non-English titles worldwide.
