MAA review: Kajol's fierce portrayal of Kali Shakti fails to impress; moviegoers call it 'just another horror film'

Kajol is back with a bang on the big screen. Moviegoers have loved the trailer of Maa, especially for Kajol's fierce performance. In a nutshell, Maa is about a mother and a woman fighting against all odds to protect her young daughter from dark forces.

The film blends genres, trying to be a horror flick, but ends up mixing mythology, technology, and a dash of the supernatural. Many netizens were reminded of the 2016 Marathi horror Lapachhapi (later remade in Hindi as Chhorii by the same director).

About the film: Motherhood meets mythology

Forty years ago, twins, a boy and a girl, were born on the night of Kali Puja. While the boy is welcomed with joy, the girl is taken away and sacrificed under a massive banyan tree, setting the eerie tone of the film. Her killing unleashes a curse that haunts the village, especially its young girls, who are tormented by a daitya (demon).

Ambika (Kajol) and Shuvankar (Indraneil Sengupta) have kept their family's dark history hidden from their daughter Shweta (Kherin Sharma). But a tragic incident and the 12-year-old's growing curiosity force the mother and daughter to travel back to their ancestral haveli in Chandrapur, Bengal.

What follows is a tale filled with mystery, suspense, and supernatural events.

Maa delivers plenty of jump scares. The screenplay stands out in scenes set around the old Kali temple in the mansion's courtyard. The film tackles patriarchy and brings menstruation, still taboo for many, into a natural, everyday conversation between mother and daughter.

Co-produced by Devgn Films, Maa is largely a Kajol show. She brings depth and power to the role, despite a lacklustre screenplay. Ronit Roy has a substantial part and plays it well. Both Kherin Sharma and Roopkatha Chakraborty, who portray girls tormented by evil forces, have a strong screen presence.

The film received mixed reviews from netizens. While some compared it to Stree 2 and others to Chhorii 2, many felt it was just another horror flick. However, it's Kajol and Ronit Roy's performances that make the film somewhat bearable.

A user wrote, "#Maa is gritty, scary and a valuable franchise to horror films. Amazing vfx provides you an end that you are not expecting. You will feel the vibe of strangers things at some point. #Kajolcarries the film on her shoulders.@itsKajolD is shining bright and is tough to take your eyes off her."

Another user wrote, "Kajol Shines, but the Film Gets So Sluggishly Caught Up in Building Mythology That It Fails To Deliver Horror, Could've been better!"

Maa movie cast: Kajol, Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, Kherin Sharma, Dibyendu Bhattacharya

Maa movie director: Vishal Furia