I might be wrong here and I do apologize if I offend...
I think Menaka has the traditional "Indian Mother with Son Syndrome." It's almost mythical, bordering ever so slightly on Freudian (not the weird stuff). Let me explain:
SON can do no wrong. Menaka blamed Kajri, Rasili, Suryakant, Savitri, the girls, but never her son. My poor baby 20+ year old Yuvraj. It was his karma. Why did god not save her son from Kajri? He was tricked into kicking his mom, dad, sister, grandmother and others out.
When push comes to shove, SON will choose his mother and family above all else. I don't think we've seen that with Yuvraj at all. Just because he has become more involved with his exiled family members, it does not mean he will give $$$. He should have offered already, so that his father's life can be improved. Instead, he chose to invest that $$$ in outfitting Kajri with the latest saris and jewelry.
The SON is the mother's badge of honor in the family. With no real job or etc, her great achievement is to give birth to a boy, who is valued in India and who will care for his family in the future, assuming he does not meet a girl like girl.
Menaka like other mothers think "I've done so much for him. He is the apple of my eye. He is the one that loves me and needs me most." And she'll forsake other relationships to protect her son. Yuvraj and Menaka, at a glance.
It's hard to get rid of these preconceived (and perhaps slightly true way back when) notions. When the economy changes, the values will change, and the family structure will change.
BTW, in the last few years, I've come across many people who've volunteered that their sisters do more for their families than their brothers, who other CEOs at home to answer to.