Surprise was Ravi Kishan’s first reaction when he heard director Suresh Triveni’s narration of Maa Behen. “Even after doing so many films, I had never played a character like Gupta ji before,” marvelled the actor. The novel character became his incentive to play the middle-aged man attracted to his neighbour Rekha, essayed by Madhuri Dixit Nene.

The cherry on the top was the authenticity with which a North Indian small town was shown in the Netflix crime comedy, also starring Triptii Dimri and Dharna Durga.

“I know these areas. The small-town humour has been missing from Hindi cinema, and when [Bollywood] depicts it, it feels a little fake. You can’t fool me when it comes to this world. I know what kind of comments are passed when a woman is walking alone, or how people wait for her to step out when her husband is not home,” said Kishan.

Matching him, beat for beat, to bring the story alive was Dixit. Impressed by his co-star’s professionalism, Kishan said, “No matter what, she will be on set by 6 am. She is present at every moment. I might have given some trouble to our director, but Madhuri ma’am is calm like a river.”

He deeply cherishes her professional attitude, especially having worked with actors who lacked it. “I have many stories of co-stars, who aren’t like that. If provoked, I will give out names,” he laughed.