Maa (2025) gives Kajol a forceful role as a mother fighting a supernatural curse to protect her daughter. Its Kali imagery and story of violence against girls offer more to explore than a routine monster movie, but several critics found the screenplay, pacing and scares too weak to make the premise land.
What is Maa about?
Directed by Vishal Revanti Furia, Maa follows Ambika and her daughter Shweta as they return to the ancestral village of Chandarpur. A curse linked to a tree and a demonic presence put Shweta in danger; the film’s Central Board of Film Certification synopsis describes Ambika transforming into Kali to confront the forces threatening her daughter.
The film draws on mythological imagery, including Kali and Raktbeej, while connecting its supernatural horror to the killing of newborn girls. The Indian Express and The Times of India discuss female infanticide as part of the film’s narrative. That gives the conflict a gendered dimension: Ambika is not only facing a monster, but confronting a threat to girls and a culture that devalues them.
The Indian Express also highlights a matter-of-fact conversation between mother and daughter about menstruation. It is a specific, everyday moment that sits alongside the film’s larger supernatural conflict and its attempt to address patriarchy.
#1 Best Overall
- Runtime: 109 minutes
Does the story and horror work?
In several reviews, the main weakness is the distance between the film’s potent premise and its execution. Scroll’s Nandini Ramnath calls the screenplay plodding and says the film struggles to create emotional engagement. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express describes a loose first half and a muddled second; India Today’s Sana Farzeen finds the story familiar and predictable. Those are distinct assessments, but they converge on a problem of momentum and dramatic payoff.
The scares are less agreed upon than the writing. Ramnath says the monster and effects are unconvincing and that many scenes lack atmosphere. Gupta criticizes the extensive CGI. Farzeen, by contrast, calls the film visually striking, while arguing that horror needs more than an impressive appearance. The disagreement points to a useful distinction: a striking image can establish scale or spectacle without necessarily creating dread.
The Times of India finds atmosphere in the haveli, ruins and forests, while the film’s saturated production design also draws praise from The Indian Express. For viewers, this may be the film’s strongest sensory element even where the scares themselves do not convince.
How is Kajol’s performance?
Kajol is the most consistent point of praise across the reviews. The Indian Express says she has the heft for Ambika; India Today credits her with intensity and gravitas, and The Times of India calls her performance compelling. Her presence supplies the mother-daughter conflict with force even when critics find the surrounding writing uneven.
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The supporting cast includes Indraneil Sengupta as Shuvankar and Kherin Sharma as Shweta, according to the CBFC record. Scroll spells the child actor’s name Jherin; this review follows the CBFC spelling.
What did reviewers think overall?
The critical response is largely skeptical about the film’s execution, though reviewers differ on what works visually. Scroll’s Ramnath sums up her view: “For a film about a potent and fierce goddess, Maa is a resolutely tame affair.” The Indian Express praises the look of the film, writing, “The production design with its saturated colours make ‘Maa’ a vivid experience.” India Today calls it “visually ambitious” but says its story “fails to invoke any strong emotions.”
Rank #4
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- Media Format: Blu-ray
- Studio: Universal Studios
- Country of Origin: USA
- Number of discs: 1
India Today also criticizes what it sees as stereotyped Bengali characterization, accents and language. That is a review-specific objection, not a consensus shared by the other cited critics. The Times of India describes Maa as an addition to the Shaitaan universe; that connection is best understood as the reviewer’s framing rather than a broader claim about franchise canon.
Rotten Tomatoes displayed a 14% Tomatometer from 14 reviews and a 40% Popcornmeter from 50+ ratings when accessed on 8 October 2026. These scores are a dated snapshot of a changing aggregator, not permanent ratings or a box-office measure.
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Is Maa worth watching?
Maa is most likely to interest viewers drawn to Kajol, maternal-protection stories, mythological horror imagery or films that bring gendered violence into a supernatural plot. Viewers looking for tightly paced storytelling or consistently effective scares may find the film less satisfying: reviewers repeatedly point to predictable plotting, uneven structure and horror that does not always create tension.
The film was certified in Hindi as UA 16+ by the CBFC’s Mumbai regional office on 20 June 2025. Rotten Tomatoes lists a limited theatrical release on 27 June 2025 and a runtime of 2h 13m. The CBFC separately records a certified length of 135.35 metres; that measurement is not a runtime. Rotten Tomatoes listed Netflix as a streaming option when accessed for this article, but availability varies by market and date, so check Netflix’s current local catalogue.
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