Beta is the story of Raju, the only child of a widowed multi millionaire. Raju's father can provide him anything he wants but Raju's only desire is to get mother's love, in order to please Raju, his father gets married to Nagmani, thinking that she will take care of Raju more than his real mother would. Raju becomes completely devoted to his stepmother, doing whatever she wishes. Time passes by, Raju grows up and gets married to Saraswati. Saraswati discovers that Nagmani's motherly love for Raju is fake and all what Nagmani is interested in, is capturing Raju's wealth.
Acting
Aruna Irani's deliciously wicked stepmother performance.
Direction
Indra Kumar milks every emotional beat till it screams.
Costume
Saraswati's sarees vs Nagmani's villainous bling warfare.
Director
Indra Kumar
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Beta means 'son' in Hindi—the title itself is ironic since Raju's defining trait is his refusal to grow up emotionally.
This film cemented the 'savage saas-bahu' template that dominated 90s family dramas; Nagmani is basically a blueprint for Ekta Kapoor's entire career.
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