Maja Ma isn’t the first LGBTQIA+ Indian movie by any means. But between this, and slightly earlier films Badhaai Do and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, I think we might have reached a turning point for LGBTQIA+ cinema in India as well as ideally, actual rights. All three of these films deal not just with queer individuals, but with the legal rights and societal pressures that strongly impact a queer Indian citizen’s ability to live happily and safely. All three also have some money and power behind them, as they’ve all been released with the supporting of major streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime) in the West. Of these three films, I liked Maja Ma the most. It had the most to say about society as well as being an entertaining family dramedy.
Maja Ma starts as pure comedy. The film sets itself up excellently. We meet the characters and know instantly who they are and how conflict could arise. The film’s events kick off when Tejas asks his girlfriend, Esha to marry him. This of course means that the two families will have to meet. Tejas isn’t worried, he has the best mum in the world and a seemingly ideal Indian family. But Esha’s parents are extremely rich expats who live in America. They’re difficult to please at the best of times. Especially because an argument between Tejas’ mother, Pallavi and his sister, Tara is secretly filmed, removed from context and goes viral. The video shows Pallavi declaring herself a lesbian. Not only does this impact Tejas’ engagement, but Pallavi’s husband’s role as an elected community leader.
So that’s our set-up. One thing that Maja Ma does so well is weave between comedy and drama. The beats establishing the story are light and comedic. You get to know the characters. Once this happens, the film is capable to dig a bit deeper. Maja Ma explores the often not funny consequences of this premise. Pallavi and her family find themselves increasingly ostracized by their community. Tejas makes several decisions he’ll come to regret in trying to salvage his engagement. Tara tries to push her mother to come out for her own activist and idealistic ends. And Pallavi just tries to keep it all together, despite the fact that her perfect wife and mother facade is crumbling before her eyes.
Maja Ma covers so much ground with its cast of characters. They all have a unique and changing opinion on homosexuality in general and Pallavi in specific. It’s a great use of a larger, family cast. Maja Ma really mines family dynamics for the best possible use. Pallavi is not an island. Her potential sexuality is her own business. But admitting it is going to affect the lives of many. Pallavi has specific dynamics with her husband, son and daughter. They all start from the same conflict and play out so differently. All of them let Pallavi down, at least initially. But all are also willing to grow, listen and change. After so many years of supporting her family, it’s heartbreaking to initially see the lack of support. But it’s then heartwarming when it does happen.
Admittedly, Maja Ma falls pretty heavily into the genre of Homosexuality 101. This is a queer movie for a straight audience. It feels the need to explain homosexuality and express support for the concept in often a pretty overt and basic way. There are some scenes where this is the entire purpose. And those scenes do lean into being preachy. But this is a 2 hour 14 minute movie. So, those scenes aren’t enough to tip the entire film into preachy territory. It’s also easier to take these scenes as they are well-meaning and likely necessary. Explaining more than once what LGBTQIA+ stands for is probably a good and necessary thing for the film’s intended audience. And messages like gay people are normal and everyone should be able to come out in their own time are definitely messages lots of people, including queer people can benefit from hearing.
What’s so great about Maja Ma is how many notes I took to write this review. In a positive way! There’s so many themes, moments and jokes that I made a note to talk about because I liked them. But this review is already too long. Needless to say, Maja Ma doesn’t leave a stone unturned. There’s lots of minor themes and moments that all contribute to the whole of this film being really good. So much thought went into this film, its characters, themes and plot.
Maja Ma ultimately succeeds from having a clear sense of societal as well as artistic purpose. This is a film that managed to combine the two really well. This is a solid family dramedy. The characters and conflicts are interesting and distinct. There’s genuinely heartwarming moments as well as moments that made me laugh out loud. And there’s also a really good message here. The message is often not presented in any way that can be called subtle. And I very much hope that in my own lifetime, we’ll reach a place where Maja Ma’s push for societal acceptance feels unnecessary and quaint because of real-life progress. But, we’re not there yet. So in the meantime, here’s a movie that’s vocally pro-queer rights that’s also entertaining.
Overall rating: 7.3/10
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