Kajol’s 'Maa' Sees Sharp Box Office Growth — But Is the Mythological Horror Genre Misleading Audiences?

Kajol’s latest film Maa has stirred a mixture of excitement and confusion as it wrapped its opening weekend with an impressive ₹17 crore. While many are praising the bold genre fusion of mythology and horror, others argue that the film is capitalizing on religious themes to boost box office numbers rather than offering true cinematic depth.

Released on June 27, Maa opened with a decent ₹4–4.5 crore on Day 1, despite competing with major titles and receiving mixed critical reviews. Saturday brought a notable bump in footfall, taking collections past the ₹10 crore mark. By the end of Sunday, the film crossed ₹17 crore, showcasing a surprisingly strong word-of-mouth push, especially among Tier-2 city audiences.

But here's the controversy — is Maa truly a mythological horror, or just a cleverly packaged drama? Several cinephiles and reviewers have raised eyebrows at the film’s promotional material, which heavily leaned on religious iconography and emotional narratives. Once inside the theatre, viewers were met with a storyline that, while visually rich, lacked the authentic horror elements promised in its trailers.

Kajol’s performance is undeniably powerful, and her portrayal of a mother torn between divine faith and demonic fears has been lauded. However, critics argue that the film rests too heavily on her shoulders. The screenplay is said to be underwhelming, filled with pacing issues, and seems to exploit mythological motifs as mere gimmicks to drive emotional resonance rather than genuine plot progression.

Moreover, the film’s classification as a horror piece is being questioned across social media platforms. Viewers are calling out the lack of true scares, eerie ambiance, or innovative storytelling — the very ingredients that define the horror genre. Instead, what many experienced was a melodramatic emotional tale that leans into myth rather than scares.

This has prompted a wave of backlash, especially from horror purists who feel that Bollywood’s recent obsession with mixing mythology with horror is more of a marketing tactic than a creative choice. They accuse films like Maa of misleading the audience, setting the wrong expectations, and blurring genre definitions for profit.

Still, Maa is thriving at the box office. Whether it's because of Kajol’s star power, the appeal of religious themes, or the curiosity around the film's unconventional pitch, it’s clear that audiences are showing up — at least for now.

So, the real question is: Should Bollywood continue down this path of genre-mixing, or does the success of Maa reflect a deeper issue about audience manipulation through cultural sentiment? While the numbers speak of growth, the conversation around Maa raises serious concerns about artistic honesty and genre integrity in mainstream Indian cinema.

In the end, Maa might go down as a commercial success, but its legacy could be remembered more for the controversy it sparked than the chills it failed to deliver.