Star Cast: Kajol, Kherin Sharma, Ronit Roy
Director: Vishal Furia
Maa Movie Review Synopsis:
MAA is the story of a woman trying to save her daughter. Ambika (Kajol) lives in Kolkata with her hubby Shuvankar (Indraneil Sengupta) and daughter Shweta (Kherin Sharma). Shuvankar is originally from Chandarpur, West Bengal and has broken all contact with his ancestral village. Shweta is hell-bent upon visiting Chandarpur but Shuvankar refuses to listen to her plea. The same day, Shuvankar learns that his father (Aashit Chatterjee) has passed away. Shuvankar reaches Chandarpur and completes the final rites. He meets the sarpanch, Joydev (Ronit Roy), and expresses the wish to sell off his mansion. He leaves for Kolkata the same night and dies under mysterious circumstances. Ambika and Shweta are in shock and manage to move on in life. A few months later, Joydev informs Ambika that a broker will be arriving in a few days for the sale of their property. Since it was Shuvankar’s last wish to get the sale done, Ambika decides to head to Chandarpur to do the needful. Shweta also joins her as she doesn’t want to be left alone. Both reach Chandapur, leading to madness. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Maa Movie Story Review:
Saiwyn Quadras’ story is praiseworthy. Saiwyn Quadras’ screenplay is riveting for most parts but gets messy in some places. Aamil Keeyan Khan and Ajit Jagtap’s dialogues are simple and also hard-hitting as required.
Vishal Furia’s direction is promising. He manages to create a very eerie atmosphere and that adds a lot to the impact. The goings-on touch a chord as it’s about a mother fighting for her child. As a result, there’s a universal appeal. Moreover, we have seen horror films and horror comedies while MAA stands out as it’s a mythological horror flick. This makes it a one-of-a-kind film. A few scenes stand out like the intro, the death of Shuvankar and Ambika and Shweta reaching Chandarpur for the first time. Post-interval, the scene in the car takes the cake. The climax fight is arresting.
On the flipside, in a few scenes, the VFX is tacky. Films like SHAITAAN [2024] and also those of Maddock Cinematic Universe have set a benchmark when it comes to CGI in this zone. While the makers get it right in some scenes, the VFX leaves a lot to be desired in the rest of the film. A few developments are plain silly and might lead to unintentional laughter. Also, the makers ideally should have ended the film at a certain point. The very last scene will put off viewers and also goes against the idea and even the title of the film. Another factor that might be seen as taboo is the crucial plot of girls getting their first periods, though one can’t deny that it’s an interesting idea.
Maa – Official Trailer | Kajol, Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, Kherin Sharma | Vishal Furia
Maa Movie Review Performances:
Kajol delivers a smashing performance and proves yet again why she is one of the finest actors of our times. She is exceptionally fiery in the climax. Kherin Sharma lends able support. Ronit Roy is the surprise of the film and this is surely one of his most accomplished performances. Indraneil Sengupta is lovable in a supporting role. Jitin Gulati (Shekhar) does well but his character gets a raw deal. Gopal Singh (Bikash) and Dibyendu Bhattacharya (Bimal) are impressive while Rupkatha Chakraborty (Deepika) and Surajasikha Das (Nandini) leave a tremendous park. Aashit Chatterjee, Vibha Rani (Purohita; old) and Yaaneaa Bharadwaj (Purohita; young) are fair.
Maa movie music and other technical aspects:
The song ‘Kali Shakti’ is forgettable but its visuals are striking. Amar Mohile’s background score adds to the effect. The same goes for Pushkar Singh’s cinematography. R P Yadav’s action is a bit gory and works well. Sheetal Duggal’s production design and Radhika Mehra’s costumes complement the goings-on. NY VFXWaala’s VFX is a mixed bag, as aforementioned. Sandeep Francis’ editing is functional.
Maa Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, MAA stands out as it’s a one-of-a-kind mythological-horror film and also rests on some fine performances, especially by Kajol and Ronit Roy. However, it suffers due to tacky VFX, inconsistent writing and an unacceptable plot point in the climax.