Maa

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.

I watched this movie yesterday and i cant imagine how bad a movie can be. In 2025 people are making such pathetic movies with a typical story and vfx like 1979 Jaani Dushman.

This movie has a very typical storyline and funny vfx like we used to have back in 80-90's (i guess even some 90s movie are better then this vfx) My mind was blown by seeing the utterly dreadful car seen in which Kajol was driving with her daughter.

Spare me the horror. I pity on people who give the rating 8.4 to this movie.

DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT WATCHING THIS MOVIE. Its a joke in the name of horror unfortunately !!

Thank me later.

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.

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.

I recently watched Maa, expecting a touching story about motherhood, emotions, and sacrifice. What I got instead was a confused, melodramatic mess that felt more like a punishment than a film.

From the very first scene, the film struggles to find direction. It tries to be emotional, but ends up being over-the-top, unrealistic, and painfully stretched. What should have been a heartfelt tribute to mothers turns into a shallow and forced tear-jerker.

Storyline - Overdone and Underwritten

The plot is simple but handled poorly. A mother goes through challenges for her child - something we've seen in countless movies.

Instead of offering a fresh take or deeper meaning, the movie uses every emotional cliché in the book.

Characters cry, shout, sacrifice, and suffer - but none of it feels genuine.

There's no depth or connection. The story keeps jumping from one dramatic scene to another with zero build-up.

Acting - Too Much or Too Little

The lead actress clearly tries hard, but most of her performance ends up looking exaggerated.

Supporting actors either overact or feel like they're sleepwalking through their scenes.

Emotional moments don't land because the reactions are either too loud or too fake.

A good emotional film depends on subtlety, but here everything is so loud and dramatic, you feel drained rather than moved.

Direction - Lost and Lazy

The director doesn't seem to trust the audience. Every emotion is spoon-fed.

The camera lingers too long on crying faces, dramatic music plays every 2 minutes, and every situation is pushed to the extreme.

Instead of telling the story naturally, the movie feels like a forced collection of "emotional scenes" stitched together without purpose.

Music - Manipulative, Not Meaningful

Background music is loud, repetitive, and used like a hammer to force emotion out of you.

Instead of enhancing scenes, the music distracts and irritates. Every sad scene is followed by the same type of violin or slow tune.

Editing and Pacing - A Drag

The film feels much longer than it is. There are too many unnecessary scenes and dialogues.

Some scenes could've been 10 seconds but are stretched to 2 minutes just to "look emotional."

By the second half, I was checking the time and hoping it would end soon.

Overall Experience - Emotionally Exhausting for the Wrong Reasons

Maa had potential. A movie about mothers always has room for deep storytelling, soft moments, and inspiring character growth.

But this film chose the loudest, messiest, and most unrealistic path possible.

It's not moving. It's not heartwarming. It's just tiring.