Maa Movie Review: An Emotionally Charged And Remarkable Mythological Horror

MAA is a story of a woman pushed to the brink, not just by demons or by loss, it’s about what happens when a mother stops asking for help and becomes the help, its empowering.

Pic Courtesy: Movie Poster

Director: Vishal Furia

Cast: Kajol, Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, Kherin Sharma, Jitin Gulati, Gopal Singh, Surjyasikha Das, Yaaneea Bharadwaj, Roopkatha Chakraborty

Runtime: 135 minutes

Rating: 4/5

Rather than relying on ghostly figures in bad prosthetics, age old jump scares, and overused horror plots, Vishal Furia, takes a fresh and bold steps in a different direction creates a new genre mythological-horror, a tale rooted in cultural folklore. Instead of relying on gimmicks, it blends myth, emotion, and dread into a layered narrative. Drawing from ancient folklore and powered by powerhouse performances, Maa emerges as a mythological horror entertainer that channels maternal grief into something mythic and terrifying.

Set in the misty and spooky village of Chandrapur, Maa begins as a personal loss and unfolds into a spiritual war. It explores what happens when a mother’s mourning collides with a curse, that to be a Daitya, born from spilled demonic blood, still alive and hungry and hunting. The film is a modern take on Kali Vs Raktabeej, from this seed of legend, Furia builds a mysterious world which is timeless, yet terrifying and relatable.

Kajol as Ambika, delivers one of the most transformative and daring performances of her career. Her layered and nuances performance ranging from a grieving wife to a fiercely protective mother, is sublime to watch and admire. Ambika is probably Kajol’s most daring and finest performance yet — a bold, mythic role that fuses emotional depth with the power of divine fury. It’s not just a mother defending her child — it’s maternal love alchemized into a godlike force of protection and vengeance.

Ambika’s daughter Shweta (Kherin Sharma) becomes the center of a family curse, and Ambika with the help of divine intervention becomes something more than a mother, she is divinity which can give life, protect it, and if need be, take one as well.

The film talks about Faith Vs Evil, it’s the main objective of the whole narrative, where mythology and belief clash with dark forces in a modern-day setting. The film smartly reimagines the ancient tale of Kali and Raktabeej, infusing it

with a contemporary tale, but the parallels are chilling, especially in how the film positions evil not just as a supernatural threat, but as something systemic, buried in silence and complicity. The epic climax of the film which his visceral, powerful, and crafted for the big screen is an ode to Kali and Raktabeej mythology legend.

Ronit Roy as Joy Dev, the Sarpanch of the village, the ever so helping and understanding induvial, bring subtlety and shock, a rare combo for an actor, and his role is such an enigmatic character, the you’re glued to his presence.

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 does an excellent job infusing mythology, horror and drama with confidence, the entire narrative is poetic and mystifying. He made sure he doesn’t rely on cheap tricks or sudden or loud noises. His horror is psychological, symbolic, and steeped in folklore. The Daitya is never just a monster; but its embodied with myth, trauma, guilt, and sins.

The film’s mythology-driven suspense keeps viewers on edge from start to finish, it’s an emotionally spine-chilling ride that doesn’t just scare, but makes you feel.

Visually, the film stunning. The cinematography captures the chilling and haunting beauty of rural India — crumbling temples, misty forests, oil lamps flickering in the night — making Chandrapur feel like a living, breathing organism. The super-fine VFX and special effects are impressive, they take the narrative forward rather than shock and awe.

A special shout-out to, The Kali Shakti song, which particularly stands out as a spiritual and divine high point — an audio-visual spectacle that bridges myth with modernity and sends chills down the spine.

Maa is not just a spooky film, it’s a mother’s story told through the lens of mythology, horror and faith — and it’s remarkable.