As we step into the festivities, films that capture the essence of celebration are hard to miss. Bringing one such family entertainer, director Anand Tiwari’s Maja Ma is all set for a release amid the peak of the festive season. The movie is centred around the theme of an exuberant Indian wedding rife with comedy, controversies, high-octane drama and emotions. The dramedy has a stellar ensemble cast of Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit, Gajraj Rao, Ritwik Bhowmick, Barkha Singh, Srishti Srivastava, Rajit Kapoor, Simone Singh, Sheeba Chaddha and more.
Madhuri will be seen in the lead role as a lovable woman of the Patel clan who is the backbone of her middle-class family. However, her character is riddled with challenges where she tries to hold on to tough times with grace when society puts her in hot water.
As the cast prepares the viewers for a roller coaster ride, they share about all the masti they had behind the scenes. Madhuri Dixit shares a fun anecdote, “There are so many memories of the fun times we spent behind the scenes and while working on the film. This one time, I just couldn't keep a straight face because of Gajraj ji’s dialogue delivery.It was a serious scene and Gajraj ji had some hilarious lines, and everyone is aware of his signature style. It is so tough to keep a straight face when you are shooting with him. I was scared that I would start laughing so I started humming sad songs in my mind so that I could keep a straight face in the scene and not spoil it for everyone.”
She adds, “There were times when we had breaks in between shots and we loved dancing, rehearsing, and playing games with each other.. One day I got done early with my scenes and all the others- Gajraj ji, Ritwik, Srishti, and Barkha were playing dumb charades. I joined them thinking I will play a couple of rounds and then head home. But I lost track of time and I ended up played multiple rounds.My team kept telling me that we were getting late, but it was so much fun that I just couldn’t get up in the middle of the game.”
The movie’s narrative itself brings out a cheery side of the stars. And why not when it has vibrant song and dance sequences like Boom Padi which have become the Garba anthem in no time!
Revealing a hilarious encounter during the shoot of the song, Srishti Shrivastava says, “We were shooting for Boom Padi and we had to swiftly and gracefully lift our ghagras and walk. With the high energy of the song and the excitement of dancing with Madhuri ma’am, I wasn’t lifting it delicately.. And she looked at me and started laughing and asked, ‘What are you doing?’ and she taught me how to gracefully lift a ghagra. It was hilarious and at the same time so precious for me, that the diva herself was teaching me how to lift a ghagra with poise.”
The movie tests character’s relationships as situations unfold leading to interesting twists. Ritwik Bhowmik shares about his experience in one of the scenes, “Anand sir was always very encouraging and motivating. He always looked at the brighter side of things. But just this one day, we (Barkha and I) got done with one shot and he said ‘Haye mere bache kitna karaab karte ho tum log’ I will never forget that day. He was serious and still so funny!”
Maja Ma premieres on 6 October on Amazon Prime Video.
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