Maa (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – When a mother and daughter stop in a house in the middle of a dense forest they find themselves facing an evil force.

My Take – Joining the ever growing sub-genre of “do not mess with a mother, as she can go to any extent to save her family” is this latest fantasy horror that shows acclaimed actress Kajol portray a contemporary woman who is forced into a fight with an ancient evil that is targeting her young daughter.

Touted as the second installment of a new horror universe that began with Shaitaan (2024), the Vishal Furia (Chhorii) directorial attempts to blend mythological horror with a potent tale of a mother’s fierce love. But while the premise is intriguing and has Kajol deliver a spirited performance, it suffers from an incoherent tone and often falls prey to genre cliches, leaving it more muddled than truly terrifying.

Indeed, the film is visually ambitious as it leans heavily into the story of Goddess Kali and Raktabija, an epic premise that no doubt could have finally given Indian horror a high-gloss makeover.

But beneath the myth and fantasy, the inconsistent pacing, an over-reliance on conventional horror tropes, and a surprisingly weak emotional core prevents the film from reaching its full potential. Leaving Kajol‘s first full-fledged horror outing to feel like missed opportunity in many ways.

Beginning with a prologue that sees a newly born female child being sacrificed in the fictional village of Chandrapur, West Bengal, the story jumps 40 years ahead and follows Ambika (Kajol), who lives a decent city life with her husband, Shubankar (Indraneil Sengupta) and her 12-year-old daughter Shweta (Kherin Sharma).

Belonging to Chandrapur himself, Shubankar has cut all ties with his ancestral village, and kept his family’s troubled history from the artistically-inclined Shweta. That is until the news of his father’s passed forces him to return, only to meet his own untimely death.

Three months later, a still grieving Ambika and Shweta find themselves in the same cursed village, intent on Shubankar’s final wish: to sell off the ancestral mansion. Though, the village’s elected head Joydev (Ronit Roy) welcomes them with open hands, but as they step in an unease starts rising. Particularly after a tree-dwelling demon called Amsaja sets its sights on Shweta to fulfill its own outer-worldly gains.

Without a doubt, the excellent production design ensures that we as viewers are in for a vivid experience. The forest just behind the mansion, whose gnarled trees hide old bones, the faded faces of the girls who have suffered at the hands of the demon, the air of fear which the village wears like a shroud, all have an eerie presence. The high-decibel bustle of the famous Kali Puja never fails to rouse.

But the ambition of script from writer Saiwyn Quadras (Neerja, Maidaan) often outweighs its execution. The narrative, while rooted in compelling mythology, fails to grasp the essence of effective horror film-making, and the scares too few and too far in-between. This is a film that is clearly well-intentioned.

The use of mythology also adds an interesting page, as the film pulls in India’s spiritual and cultural narratives into the story. Blending folklore with emotions, it also celebrates femininity and motherhood. Talking up menstruation, still considered taboo in this day and age, as a matter-of-fact discussion between mother and daughter is a stand-out thread. But the overall writing is mostly bland.

The film itself falters in the way it keeps its first half loose, and the second half muddled. The curse of the demon and its desire to keep procreating to overrun the world and the celebration of womanhood needed a clearer, more gripping narrative. Instead, it has far too many unnecessary episodes inserted for the sake of advancing the proceedings.

The CGI too is a mixed bag of hit and miss. The demon who looks like a mix between the Night King from HBO‘s Game of Thrones & Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy fails to evoke genuine terror and come through as a truly menacing entity. All leading to a convoluted climax that fails to live up to expectations.

Performance wise, Kajol, unsurprisingly, brings in yet another strong and emotionally resonant turn, anchoring a film that keeps viewers engaged from start to finish. Alongside her, Kherin Sharma is decent enough. Ronit Roy too does well, especially in the climax. Indraneil Sengupta leaves a strong mark in his small yet impactful role. However, Jitin Gulati is simply wasted in the film. On the whole, ‘Maa‘ is a muddled fantasy horror which despite impressive story and production elements fails to truly captivate.