The movie begins with the birth of a boy child and a girl child. While the baby boy’s birth is celebrated amid the Kali puja, the girl child is instantly sacrificed by the villagers to keep a dreaded rakshas at bay, which sets the unsettling tone of the movie. Just a bit into the movie, you are introduced to the story of Goddess Kali and Raktabija, narrated by Kajol.
Years later, the cycle of horror continues when the son of the same family, played by Indraneil Sengupta, secretly fathers a daughter but shields his girl from the village’s wrath. The tension and eerie atmosphere grip you immediately after the father is murdered by the demon when he visits the village for his father’s funeral.
The movie, Maa, is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology, particularly in the fierce battle of Goddess Kali with the demon Raktabija. As per the legend, during the intense battle, each drop of the blood that touched the ground would give birth to another demon; however, the goddess drank his blood before it fell on the ground. Taking inspiration from the story, the movie shows that one drop of blood dropped in Bengal’s village, Chandarpur, giving rise to the rakshas who feeds off adolescent girls as soon as they get periods, which draws a parallel to menstruation stigma and gender-based violence.
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Taking the narrative forward, Kali empowers one of her devotees to kill the demon, but, things take a horrifying turn when the rakshas plants his seed in the devotee’s daughter, forcing him to sacrifice her as the birth of a demon child can cause a wrath on earth. However, it blurs the lines between protector and perpetrator, making the narrative a bit more complex.
One character that seemed a bit annoying and way more mature than its age was Kherin Sharma, who essayed the role of Kajol’s daughter, Shweta. Firstly, the 12-year-old girl wants to go for vacation to a village when her parents offer to take her to Shimla. Which kid really does that? She also has an obsession with visiting the village, no matter what, which also doesn’t fit well with the audience.
Talking about performances, Kajol delivers a powerful performance as the mother determined to protect her daughter at any cost, With Maa Kali’s divine strength, she wages war against the rakshas. Her portrayal of maternal ferocity alone carries the film on its shoulders, especially in the climax scene. Ronit Roy adds gravity to the storyline with his commanding performance, while Indraneil Sengupta navigates fear and deception.
Visually, Maa is a treat to watch. VFX perfectly depicts supernatural elements, especially the scenes involving Maa Kali and her prophecy. The direction is a bit taut, and the background score complements the story’s mythological weight and adds emotional depth. The cinematography, along with VFX, captures the rustic eeriness of Chandarpur.
However, the film falters in its core narrative. While it touches upon serious issues such as female feticide, the storyline seems regressive. The climax of the movie also seems underwhelming and doesn’t really push the envelope. The storyline also echoes archaic mindsets under the guise of mythology.
What shakes things up is R Madhavan in a short but chilling post-credit scene of Shaitaan 2. With the ominous line, “Jab tak insaan hai, Shaitaan zinda rahega,” the film hints at a larger supernatural universe.
In our final verdict, Maa is a visually gripping film with strong performances and rich mythological roots, but lacks the horror elements. The regressive approach towards gender issues and somewhat predictable storyline make it a one-time watch. The movie doesn’t really rise above its limitations. So, don’t expect a groundbreaking narrative or very scary elements.
In comparison to Shaitaan starring Ajay Devgn, the film lags behind, but the post-credit scene in the movie featuring R Madhavan will definitely excite you.