Kajol’s latest movie Maa directed by Vishal Furia is out in theatres. Is it worth watching? Here’s the complete review.
Director: Vishal Furia
Cast: Kajol, Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, Kherin Sharma, Jitin Gulati, Gopal Singh, Surjyasikha Das, Yaaneea Bharadwaj, Roopkatha Chakraborty
Runtime: 135 minutes
Filmmaker Vishal Furia is a pathbreaking director, and with Maa, he creates a new genre, mythological horror. The film is deep rooted in myth, and it is immersive, and deeply emotional. Maa is a mythological horror that pulses with maternal rage, grief, and ancient evil, and the director makes sure he steer clear of clichés and landing its punches with surprising emotional gravity.
The film follows a widowed mother who must confront a Datiya, a mysterious horrifying Raktabeej, lurking to grab her daughter as sacrificial mule for age old cure. This mythological horror delves into faith Vs Evil, through the lens of a mother, who is dealing with grief and trauma but eventually finds strength to turn into a warrior to defend herself, her daughter.
Kajol as Ambika, who is dealing with rather mysterious and sudden demise of her husband heads to village of Chandrapur, to meet her in-laws and perform all the rituals for her husband. The film begins as a personal loss but unfolds into a divine reckoning. It explores what happens when a mother’s mourning collides with an unspeakable curse — a Daitya, born from spilled demonic blood, still alive and still hungry.
Kajol is the soul of the movie, it’s her career best performance, despite being her first mythological horror film. As Ambika, a grieving wife and fiercely protective mother, Kajol breathe life into this layered character, it’s not just a mother defending her daughter — it’s maternal love infused into a godlike force of protection and vengeance. You feel her fear, her trembling rage, and her transformation from a grieving wife to divine warrior, is sublime and deeply moving.
The film’s central conflict — faith vs evil — plays out in a gripping narrative where mythology and belief clash with dark forces in a modern-day setting. Maa cleverly reimagines the ancient tale of Kali and Raktabeej, infusing it with contemporary urgency.
Kerin Sharma, who plays the role of Shweta, shines in her role but Ronit Roy’s character of Joy Dev, walks the fine line between ally and enigma. As Joydev, the sarpanch of Chandrapur, his presence adds tension and gravitas to every scene. Roy brings depth to a character that could easily have been one-dimensional; instead, he keeps you guessing. Is he friend, foe, or something else entirely?
Indraneil Sengupta appears briefly but memorably, grounding the story in tragedy before it spirals into horror. The supporting cast — including Jitin Gulati, Gopal Singh, Yaaneea Bharadwaj, and Roopkatha Chakraborty — breathe life into the cursed village, portraying a community paralyzed by fear yet complicit in silence. These are not stock characters; each feels like a person with history, guilt, and secrets buried deep in the soil.
Vishal Furia’s direction is confident and poignant. He doesn’t rely on cheap tricks or loud noises. His horror is psychological, symbolic, and steeped in folklore. The Daitya is never just a monster; it is the embodiment of generational trauma, societal guilt, and forgotten sins. The film’s mythology-driven suspense keeps viewers on edge from start to finish — an emotionally spine-chilling ride that doesn’t just scare, but makes you feel.
Visually, Maa is stunning. The cinematography captures the haunting beauty of rural India — crumbling temples, misty forests, oil lamps flickering in the night — making Chandrapur feel like a living, breathing organism. The high-end VFX and practical effects are impressive yet restrained, used to enhance rather than overwhelm. The Kali Shakti song in particular stands out as a spiritual and cinematic high point — an audio-visual spectacle that bridges myth with modernity and sends chills down the spine.
Maa is not your typical horror film. It’s personal, poetic, and profoundly mythic. It understands that the scariest monsters aren’t just ghosts in the dark, but the ones that prey on love, grief, and sacrifice.
Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today!
