Film Maa Review: Even Stellar Performances Couldn’t Save the Film from Weak Writing and Direction

By Shantiswarup Tripathi

• Rating: 2 stars
• Producers: Ajay Devgn and Jio Studios
• Writers: Ajit Jagtap, Aamil Kiyan Khaghan, Sevayan Quadras
• Director: Vishal Furia
• Cast: Kajol, Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, Khairin Sharma, Jitin Gulati, Gopal Singh, Suryashikha Das, Yaniyaa Bhardwaj, Rupkatha Chakraborty
• Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ajay Devgn Films' “Maa”, released on June 27, is a spiritual successor to their previously successful horror film “Shaitaan”, continuing that universe. Set in the realm of mythological horror, the story revolves around a mother who goes to supernatural lengths to save her child. While originally shot in Hindi, the film has been dubbed in Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali.

Story

The narrative begins in Chanderpur village near Kolkata, where worship of Goddess Kali is underway as a woman goes into labor. The village is tense because of a horrific tradition — every girl born into this family is sacrificed in the jungle to the demon Doitto. As expected, the newborn girl is sacrificed, while her twin brother Shubhankar (Indraneil Sengupta) grows up to reject these barbaric beliefs. He moves to the city with his wife, Ambika (Kajol), a schoolteacher, and they have a daughter, Shweta (Khairin Sharma). To hide the truth, he tells his family that a boy was born.

Years pass, and a curious 12-year-old Shweta wishes to visit her ancestral village. Shubhankar, however, keeps her away. Even when his father dies, he goes alone to Chanderpur to sell the family house with help from the village head Jaydev (Ronit Roy), aiming to cut all ties. But fate has other plans — the demon Doitto claims Shubhankar’s life.

Ambika and Shweta are forced to return to Chanderpur, where they uncover horrifying truths. Girls in the village mysteriously disappear after their first menstruation, only to return days later, infertile. When the demon targets Shweta, Ambika transforms into an avatar of Kali to battle the evil.

Review

Following the success of “Shaitaan”, Ajay Devgn decided to expand his horror universe with “Maa” — but instead of originality, the film falls back on copying elements from successful predecessors. Unfortunately, imitation requires both intelligence and effort — both missing here.

“Maa” seems to draw inspiration from Sridevi’s “Mom” and Raveena Tandon’s “Maatr”, where a mother goes to extreme lengths to protect her child. But unlike those revenge thrillers, “Maa” is intended as a horror film. In attempting to blend emotional depth with supernatural horror, the creators also clumsily borrow from films like “Munjya” and “Stree 2”, while also referencing mythological tales like Raktbeej from the Durga Saptashati.

Writers Ajit Jagtap, Aamil Kiyan Khaghan, and Sevayan Quadras seem to have done no meaningful research, which results in a faulty plot foundation. For instance, according to mythology, evil spirits fear fire. But in one absurd scene, the demon attacks Shubhankar while he’s smoking a cigarette — logically implying this is a human and not a spirit. Such inconsistencies insult the viewer’s intelligence.

The film’s first half is extremely slow and dull, putting audiences to sleep. It only gains some pace post-interval, but never grips the viewer fully. The screenplay is scattered and weak, and it fails to create real tension or fear — essential for horror. Scenes involving Jaydev fighting shirtless in the jungle or transforming into the demon come across as ridiculously silly rather than scary.

Even the VFX and special effects are subpar. While the film does hint at themes of gender discrimination and the sacrificial status of girls, it does so in an unconvincing and underwhelming manner. Director Vishal Furia, known for “Chhori” and “Chhori 2”, fails to recreate the eerie atmospheres of his past work. Though “Maa” reuses visual motifs from “Chhori”, such as isolated rural settings and mother-child themes, it lacks both horror and suspense. Even the climax is predictable.

Furia fails to do justice to either the social message or the mythological horror — leaving “Maa” stranded between genres and ideas.

Performances

Kajol gives a powerful performance as Ambika, and despite a lackluster script, she shoulders the film with conviction. Ronit Roy impresses as Jaydev/Doitto, portraying his dual role effectively. Indraneil Sengupta is underutilized. Khairin Sharma as Shweta remains expressionless throughout. Vibha Rani (as Ambika’s guide) and Dibyendu Bhattacharya (as the servant) are decent. Gopal Singh and Jitin Gulati appear in minor roles, with Jitin offering nothing notable.

Verdict

“Maa” is a confused horror drama that fails on both emotional and supernatural fronts. Despite a strong performance by Kajol, the film is let down by poor writing, inconsistent logic, dull pacing, and lack of originality. There is neither fear, nor effective messaging — making it a missed opportunity for the horror genre and a disappointment for the audience.

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