June 27, 2025: “Main yahaan baithkar chamatkar ka intezaar nahi kar sakti,” says Kajol’s character near the climax of Maa. And frankly, the audience feels the same—after two long hours of waiting for the scares in this horror-mythology drama that never quite delivers.
Directed by Vishal Furia (Chhorii), Maa opens promisingly with the sacrifice of a child in Chandrapur, only to jump 40 years ahead to Ambika (Kajol), living peacefully with her husband Shubhankar (Indraneil Sengupta) and daughter Shweta (Kherin Sharma). They avoid Shubhankar’s ancestral village for a mysterious reason, but his father’s death compels them to return. Soon after, Shubhankar also dies, and Ambika is pulled back to Chandrapur—unaware of the supernatural horror awaiting her.
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The story borrows from the powerful myth of Goddess Kali and the demon Raktabija—where every drop of his blood births a new monster. On paper, it’s an epic setup. But in execution, the first half is painfully slow and lacks any gripping horror. The buildup to the climax in the second half attempts to kickstart momentum, but even then, the impact is minimal.
There’s some attempt at social commentary and feminist messaging—Ambika’s transformation into the avenging “Maa” in the climax carries potential. But it all gets lost in heavy Bengali accents, undercooked VFX, and a supernatural creature that looks straight out of a dated TV soap.
Kajol remains in familiar territory, offering little new in terms of performance. Ronit Roy, on the other hand, gets more room to explore and fares better. Unfortunately, the emotional bond between Ambika and her daughter doesn’t hit the mark. And a song shoehorned into the climax only derails the pacing further.
Maa had all the right ingredients: mythology, maternal power, horror, and drama. But it never turns up the heat. The result is a lukewarm tale that’s neither terrifying nor emotionally moving.