Mama's Boys review: Hilarious spoof on the Mahabharata

As we all sit at home and feel rather nostalgic watching BR Chopra’s definitive television series Mahabharata (1988), which is being telecast again these days on Doordarshan, here is a delightfully irreverent, modern take on the epic.

Directed by Akshat Verma, best known as the writer of the black comedy Delhi Belly (2011), the short film looks at the episode where Arjun brings Draupadi home to his mother Kunti, who distractedly, without seeing what or whom he has brought, tells him to share with all his brothers!

In the film, when Kunti (Neena Gupta) absent-mindedly tells Arjun (Amol Parashar) that he must share his wife (Aditi Rao Hydari) with his brothers, Arjun is miffed. Kunti remains firm, "Keh diya so keh diya [Once I have said it, it must be done]."

Unable to change his mother's mind, Arjun goes about trying to persuade his brothers to bring up the matter with her and put an end to her illogical thinking since he won Draupadi in a competition all by himself. However, Draupadi is not as dismayed at the idea of getting five brothers as her husbands. As her friend points out, “They are all hot. All five of them!”

The five brothers — Yudhisthir (Akshay Oberoi), Bhim (Arunoday Singh), Arjun, Nakul (Vivaan Shah) and Sehdev (Jim Sarbh) appear parodies of the mythological heroes in this spoof. While Nakul and Sehdev are shown (and widely imagined) as being gay, it is the portrayal of Yudhisthir as a smoking, drinking, gambling louche young man that is light years away from the holier-than-thou character normally associated with him. And because this is a modern take on the epic, we are told what Draupadi’s take on the situation is, too. Mama's Boys also stars the late Razak Khan, who delivers a splendid performance as Shakuni.

Sure, the film seems like it was all done for a laugh, but it’s still fun to watch. In contemporary India, when people’s sense of humour is eroding at an alarming rate and egos seem to be becoming increasingly fragile, it is refreshing to watch a good-humoured dig at a revered epic. This is an oldie but a goodie!

Watch Mama's Boys here.