Maa Review: Kajol, in her career spanning more than three decades, has starred in multiple genres of movies, but till now, she had not done a horror film. However, today (June 27, 2025), the actress' first horror film titled Maa has hit the big screens. It is a mythological horror film directed by Vishal Furia, who is known for helming horror movies like Lapachhapi and the Chhorii franchise. So, when an actress like Kajol teams up with a filmmaker like Furia, and the makers claim that the film is 'From The World Of Shaitaan', we surely expect it to be a fantastic movie. However, Maa disappoints!
The movie is about Ambika (Kajol) who is staying with her husband Shuvankar (Indraneil Sengupta) and daughter Shweta (Kherin Sharma) in Kolkata. There's a village in West Bengal named Chandrapur, and Shuvankar visits there as his father passes away. However, he gets killed by Daitya, the rakshas. After a few months, to sell the ancestors' haveli, Ambika and Shweta visit Chandrapur, but soon this trip turns into a horrific nightmare for them as Daitya is now behind Shweta. How Ambika saves her daughter forms the rest of the story...
Maa is written by Saiwyn Quadras and directed by Vishal Furia. The movie starts on a very interesting note, and the first 10 minutes will surely keep you engaged. However, later the film drops, and the first half is strictly average.
After the interval, we expect that Maa will get better, but that happens only in bits and parts. There's a very well-shot, thrilling sequence where Ambika and her daughter are attacked by other girls (a glimpse of it was there in the trailer). That whole sequence creates a perfect thrilling atmosphere.
Maa is a mythological horror film, and while the writer and director get the mythological part right, the horror element is missing. The film is hardly scary, and it is predictable. You will easily predict who the villain is. Also, one of the angles of the story will remind you of Furia's Chhorii 2, which premiered on OTT earlier this year.
Maa Review - Actors' Performances
Kajol is undoubtedly one of the best actresses we have in Bollywood. Overall, she is good, but the film only gives her a chance to shine in the pre-climax and climax portions. Kherin Sharma, who plays the role of Shweta in the movie, is just fine. Ronit Roy is the best in the cast and impresses with his performance. Indraneil Sengupta and Jitin Gulati are decent in their respective roles.
Maa Review - Music
In horror films, the background score plays a very important role. But, in Maa, even that is just quite regular and nothing new.
Maa Review - Final Verdict
Overall, Maa turns out to be just a strictly average film. With such a great concept, the film had the potential to be a fantastic cinematic experience, but sadly, that didn't happen. However, if you are a Kajol fan, you can surely give it a try!
Ratings: 2 stars
