Kajol’s big-screen comeback with mythological horror-thriller Maa has resonated well with the audience and continued to show a healthy run at the box office in spite of stiff competition from big releases such as Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par and the Brad Pitt-starring F1. Maa was released on June 27 and is now heading for becoming Kajol’s 9th-highest-grossing movie.
As per preliminary estimates by industry monitor Sacnilk, Maa raked in about Rs 1.75 crore on July 2, making its domestic box office total stand at Rs 24.9 crore.
It has beaten a number of prominent 2025 releases such as Emergency (Rs 20.48 crore) and Fateh (Rs 16 crore) and is likely to cross the Rs 32.7 crore mark made by Shahid Kapoor’s Deva anytime soon.
Maa minted Rs 4.65 crore on Friday, Rs 6 crore on Saturday, and Rs 7 crore on Sunday in its first weekend. The trend indicates that people are enjoying the film’s genre mix of horror and mythology, particularly with Kajol heading the story in a robust female-dominated role.
On its sixth day, July 2, the film earned a total Hindi occupancy of 10.13%. While morning shows saw a modest 6.03%, the numbers increased as the day went on afternoon shows were at 11.42%, evening was at 10.94%, and night shows reached 12.12%. Chennai was the area that saw the highest occupancy, hinting at wider national appeal.
Maa is also a part of the supernatural world begun by Shaitaan (2024), which is directed by Vikas Bahl and features Ajay Devgn. While Shaitaan collected Rs 14.75 crore on its opening day and had a lifetime domestic total of Rs 147.97 crore, Maa, which is directed by Vishal Furia and co-produced by Devgn Films, has found its own niche with a much more realistic and feminist horror story.
Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, Kherin Sharma, and Jitin Gulati play important roles in the film as well.
The film has been appreciated by critics for its rich production design and bold themes most notably its unapologetic approach to menstruation and patriarchy. Critics, however, found the writing “bland” and CGI effects disappointing.
Also Read: Maa’s Magic Continues: Kajol’s Film Collects Rs 23 Crore in 5 Days, Will It Cross Rs 50 Crore?
However, Maa is proving to be a box office hit in a crowded market, announcing Kajol’s robust return and increasingly receptive audience for female-driven genre films.
