Maa film overview: Kajol’s movie takes it is time- and yours — however forgets to carry the horror on this mythological drama

The premise

Maa, directed by Vishal Furia of Chhorii fame, kicks off with a woman kid’s sacrifice in Chandrapur, after which we’re instantly transported 40 years later. Ambika (Kajol) is main a contented life along with her husband Shubhankar (Indraneil Sengupta) and daughter Shweta (Kherin Sharma). For some cause, they do not wish to go to Chandrapur, Shubhankar’s ancestral village. But his father’s dying forces him to go and go to, and he dies. Ambika and Shweta, grieving, give it a go to after three months on the insistence of Joydev (Ronit Roy) as they plan on promoting off their ancestral home. But Ambika is not prepared for what’s ready.

The movie pins its ambitions on the story of Goddess Kali and Raktabija, an epic premise little doubt. One drop of the demon’s blood, which fell to the Earth, creates a monster that terrorises the village for many years. Sounds nice on paper. But the movie takes ages to set the temper within the first half. You are neither scared nor sucked into this world.

The second half units issues into movement, for a buildup to a climax that ought to have felt extra pacy. And extra impactful.

The verdict

There’s social commentary buried someplace within the ritualistic blood, VFX smoke and characters talking Bengali intentionally in such a heavy accent as if their life depended upon it- coupled with a feminist undertone. It barely lands. The intent is in place although: the thought of a determined mom changing into Maa within the climax is executed properly, and is frankly the one half the place you’re hooked. Now if solely the whole movie had such elevation factors.

Now, let’s discuss the principle attraction- the supernatural entity. It will get a ton of screentime, however sadly, Maa’s makers mistake screentime for scariness. The creature is meant to ship shivers down your backbone; as an alternative, it seems prefer it escaped from a mid-budget TV serial and acquired caught in a CGI filter.

Kajol’s act as Ambika feels one dimensional- it is the quintessential Kajol you could have seen in umpteen movies, and her character at no level progresses from being abnormal to awe-inducing. Ronit Roy will get an opportunity to experiment right here, and he fares higher. The chemistry between Kajol and her on-screen daughter Kherin is not as endearing or emotional because it ought to have been. Also, there was completely no scope so as to add a tune within the climax, so it feels a bit misplaced.

To sum it up, Maa has all the fitting substances, from maternal rage to a haunted village. But the makers throw all of it right into a cauldron and overlook to show the warmth up. It needs to say one thing highly effective a few mom pulling out all stops for her kids, however sadly the beating coronary heart is buried beneath the traditional storyline.