Maa

Highly Disgusting Movie with Monotonous Acting, Also Stupid Story. I saw the movie in 2x speed, because it lacks interest & Acting. I expect more from Kajol, as I used to like her Acting but after this I am in Dilemma. First Half of the movie is very Boring, like everything going Flat. I have a headache watching the Acting of the Girl, She is doing like someone is forcing her to act. I know I Sounds like Bit Harsh but it is what it is, Everything is looking Fake from Cast to Acting alongwith Story. After the 1st half of the movie, I was feeling like I got my 1hr wasted but in reality I wasted 2 hrs.

This movie is dull and slow. The story is very basic and doesn't have anything new or exciting. It feels like it was just put together without much thought. The main cast seems to have been picked based on popularity, not actual acting talent.

Kajol, in particular, looks outdated and shows very little range in her acting. In the past, her weak performances were easy to overlook because stronger male actors carried the films. But in this movie, her limitations are very clear.

Surprisingly, the extras and background actors do a much better job. They feel more real and help move the story along more than the leads do. There are also some truly talented actors in the film, but their roles are so small that their skills go to waste.

The pace of the movie is another big issue-it drags on and on. It takes forever for anything meaningful to happen. Overall, this movie is a missed opportunity and a disappointment.

Vishal Furia's "Maa," starring Kajol in her first full-fledged horror outing, attempts to blend mythological horror with a potent tale of a mother's fierce love. While the premise is intriguing, and Kajol delivers a spirited performance, the film struggles to maintain a consistent tone and often falls prey to genre cliches, leaving it more muddled than truly terrifying.

The film's ambition often outweighs its execution. The narrative, while rooted in compelling mythology, becomes predictable. The demon, despite ample screentime, fails to evoke genuine terror, often resembling more of a mid-budget CGI creation than a truly menacing entity. The writing is a significant weakness; despite tackling powerful themes of patriarchy and female strength, the script feels bland and repetitive in parts, losing its grip, particularly in the muddled second half and climax extremely disappointing. Better to watch on ott rather than going theatres.

The film's connection to the "Shaitaan" universe is present but doesn't necessarily elevate "Maa" in a significant way. While it aims for a compelling horror experience with a beating heart of maternal love, the inconsistent pacing, reliance on conventional horror tropes, and a surprisingly weak emotional core prevent "Maa" from reaching its full potential.

Maa, the second film in the Shaitaan universe, promises an ambitious blend of mythology and horror, but ultimately delivers a middling experience. Set in the rural backdrop of Chandrapur, near Kolkata, the film follows a determined mother caught in a terrifying supernatural struggle to save her daughter. In comparison to Shaitaan, Maa feels underwhelming and less cohesive. It neither offers the psychological tension of a horror classic nor the visual spectacle of a mythological epic.

Despite its intriguing premise, Maa falls short of making a lasting impression, both emotionally and cinematically. The concept of weaving mythological elements into a horror framework is undoubtedly rich with potential. Unfortunately, the writing doesn't fully rise to the occasion. The first half is relatively taut and builds up some anticipation, giving the illusion that the film is heading toward a chilling climax. However, the second half rapidly loses steam becoming sluggish, overlong, and predictable.

Maa delivers visuals that are sadly unimpressive. The VFX, instead of elevating the horror, often diminish it with lackluster execution. This becomes even more apparent when compared to the bar set by the Maddock Cinematic Universe. Except for a few standout scenes - notably the car escape sequence featuring Ambika and Shweta being chased by monster girls, there is little tension or immersion.

Kajol carries the weight of the film on her shoulders with an earnest performance. She plays the concerned and fierce mother convincingly, but the script does her no favors. Young talents Kherin Sharma and Rupkatha Chakraborty provide fine support, while Ronit Roy emerges as the film's surprise package. Dibyendu Bhattacharya is reliable as always, but the rest of the cast, unfortunately, leaves a forgettable impression, largely due to flat characterizations.

Direction 1.5/5 Acting 2.5/5 Dialogues 2/5 Story 2/5 Screenplay 2/5.

Maa (2025) : Movie Review -

Maa is marketed as a film from the Shaitaan universe, but honestly, it has nothing to do with it. The only connection I can make is that both films revolve around parents saving their daughters. Yes, it has to be a daughter-a female character-because that's how it has been for years in Bollywood's horror genre. Another shared trait is a male antagonist. Maa is essentially an original story that tries to blend mythological themes into a modern horror framework-but with very little logic. We've all heard or read the tale of Rakhtabeej and Kaali Maa. We know that the demon was killed by Kaali Maa. Now, this film tells us he wasn't. Instead, one drop of his blood gave birth to a new demon. Ridiculous. Sorry, but I'm not buying that. The film's basic foundation is flawed, and despite having an original and somewhat intriguing idea, it collapses due to its TV-serial-like execution. Moreover, the Vishal Furia curse continues, post-Chhorri and Chhorri 2. He desperately needs to move beyond the female foeticide trope.

Maa follows Ambika (Kajol) and her daughter, Shweta (Kherin Sharma). Ambika's husband is killed by a tree-dwelling demon called Amsaja. Later, she's asked to visit Chandarpur to sell their ancestral mansion. The demon notices Shweta but must wait until she hits puberty. Meanwhile, Ambika recounts the legend of Rakhtabeej, reborn as Amsaja, who now seeks a daughter from their bloodline. Predictably, Amsaja abducts Shweta after her first period, but this time he's in for a fight-Ambika, the mother, won't let him succeed. Will Ambika defeat the demon?

The screenplay makes Maa a tedious watch, especially in the first half. It takes more than an hour to arrive at anything meaningful. The most interesting segment is the interval block, but that mostly introduces the mythos rather than any real conflict. After yet another boring act, the actual story kicks off in the final quarter as a few secrets unfold. But even they aren't strong enough to reduce the predictability. A tighter screenplay could have elevated this into a solid horror piece. As it stands, it's disjointed and slow almost throughout. Add to that some daily soap-like tropes, a melodramatic background score, and over-the-top aggressive action sequences-and the entire dish falls flat. The final 15 minutes somewhat salvage the film from dipping below average. Logical reasoning is missing, and the pieces fail to fall into place. The linear storytelling takes a dull route, dragged down further by Vishal Furia's thematic repetition from his previous works. In short, this is another Chhorri, only with Kajol and a bigger canvas-haunted by the same mediocrity.

Kajol looks graceful in the beginning, and her character gets a substantial arc towards the climax. We're not accustomed to seeing female characters grow this heroic, but here it works because of one powerful word: MAA. A mother can go to any lengths for her child, and that's what gives Ambika's character conviction. Kajol performs well, though it doesn't touch the heights of her Salaam Venky act. This role leans more toward mass appeal, so the lack of finesse is understandable. Kherin Sharma delivers an immature performance, especially when compared to Janaki Bodiwala, who was stunning in Shaitaan (and even better in Vash). The difference is glaring. Ronit Roy's Bengali dialogues come without subtitles, which is disappointing, though he delivers a punch in the climax. It's a shame to see an actor like Dibyendu Bhattacharya wasted in such a hollow role. Indraneil Sengupta, Gopal Singh, Surjasikha Das, Vibha Rani, Yaneea Bharadwaj, and others merely pass the time.

Maa fails to grasp the essence of effective horror filmmaking. The scares are few and far between, turning it into more of a family drama than a horror experience. Even technically, the film underperforms. The background score lacks bite. The cinematography is strictly average, and the editing isn't sharp either. The few things that work are the art and production design-the atmosphere feels authentic. The real problem lies in storytelling, which leans too heavily on artificial cinematic tools to simulate realistic effects. That contradiction is something Vishal Furia hasn't been able to manage smartly. The best thing about him remains his ability to draw ideas from mythology and history, instead of copy-pasting plots like Shaitaan. However, the recurring issue is his inability to break out of the Lapachhapi zone, even after eight years. That film set high standards for Marathi horror and for Furia himself-standards that he hasn't met since. In fact, with each new attempt, he seems to be sliding downward. The only good part is that Maa has its own identity and a few standout ideas that hint at future potential. But for now, you're left enduring mediocrity-or better yet, just wait for a better film, as we cinegoers have sadly grown accustomed to doing nowadays.

RATING - 4/10*