Tribhanga is a deeply emotional drama that explores the complex, fractured relationships between
three generations of women in a Mumbai family, each embodying unconventional choices in a traditional society. The story centers on Nayantara Apte, a celebrated and fiercely independent Marathi writer who suffered abuse in her youth and left an oppressive marriage, sacrificing her domestic life for her art. Her daughter, Anuradha—known as Anu—grows up harboring intense resentment toward Nayantara for perceived emotional abandonment. Anu rebels by becoming a wildly eccentric, foul-mouthed Bollywood actress and a single mother, determined to raise her own daughter, Masha, completely differently.The catalyst for the film's events occurs when Nayantara suffers a brain hemorrhage and slips into a coma, prompting a tense
family reunion at the hospital. Masha, who is sweet, gentle, and engaged to a conservative, traditional man from a prominent family, invites an American documentarian named Milan to record Nayantara’s life story before it is too late. Milan interviews Anu, hoping to capture the unfiltered truth behind the legendary writer’s legacy. Instead, the interview sessions become explosive therapy sessions where Anu unleashes decades of suppressed rage, accusing her mother of prioritizing her literature and lovers over her children's safety and well-being.As Anu grapples with her impending loss, she is forced to confront her own shortcomings as a mother, realizing how her bitterness and chaotic lifestyle have inadvertently harmed Masha. Meanwhile, Masha reveals a shocking secret: her fiancé’s family is demanding that she sign a prenuptial agreement requiring her to abort any future female children, believing women bring ruin. Masha is torn, terrified of repeating the generational curse of broken families.Amidst these escalating tensions, Nayantara briefly regains consciousness. Rather than offering the comforting maternal closure Anu desperately craves, Nayantara unapologetically defends her life choices, stating that a mother is first and foremost an individual human being with flaws, not a saint. This harsh revelation breaks Anu, but it ultimately grants her the clarity needed for forgiveness. She finally understands the immense trauma her mother survived and the heavy price she paid for her freedom.Emboldened by her grandmother's fierce spirit and her mother's newfound acceptance, Masha summons the courage to break off her engagement, choosing self-respect over a compromised marriage. In the end, the three women find a fragile peace. The film concludes with the titular Sanskrit dance pose of "Tribhanga"—which is bent in three places—serving as a powerful metaphor for their lives: beautifully imperfect, resilient, and uniquely shaped by their struggles.