Kajol’s upcoming supernatural horror film Maa has achieved a rare feat in Hindi cinema. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has passed the film without a single audio or visual cut, granting it a U/A 16+ certificate—something rarely seen for films in this genre. The film, backed by Ajay Devgn’s Devgn Films in association with Jio Studios and Panorama Studios, now stands out as one of the few horror films to avoid an adults-only (A) rating.
A source told Bollywood Hungama, “With CBFC, one can never know. In Sitaare Zameen Par, the members asked for Michael Jackson to be replaced by ‘lovebirds’ and ‘Business Woman’ was changed to ‘Business Person’. That and the insistence on adding a quote from the Prime Minister led to a storm. Hence, the fear was that when a clean film like Sitaare Zameen Par gets such cuts, what would happen to Maa which is a horror flick.”
The source added, “However, the CBFC’s Examining Committee didn’t cut a single shot, though a few scenes are disturbing. And that’s not all. They also allowed the film to have a U/A 16+ rating. This means that the under-18 crowd can also view this film.”
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CBFC makes rare exception for horror genre
Traditionally, horror and supernatural films in India are rated ‘A’ due to their intense content. Films like Chhorii 2 (2025), 1920: Horrors Of The Heart (2023), Bhoot: Part One – The Haunted Ship (2020), Amavas (2019), Ghost (2019), and Tumbbad (2018) all received adults-only ratings. The only recent exception was Shaitaan (2024), another Devgn Films and Jio Studios production, which like Maa, was passed with a U/A rating. Horror comedies are more commonly allowed U/A certification.
Conditions met before final certification
Although the CBFC did not demand cuts, it did instruct the makers to increase the duration of the on-screen disclaimer to ensure readability. The board also asked for the inclusion of references to “anti-girl child and human sacrifice” themes, and requested that the Hindi title of the film be clearly mentioned, in accordance with a rule introduced in 2021.
Once these conditions were fulfilled, the final censor certificate was issued to the makers on June 20. The certified runtime of Maa is 135.35 minutes—that is, 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 35 seconds.
About Maa
Maa is produced by Ajay Devgn, directed by Vishal Furia and stars Kajol in a chilling lead role as a mother drawn into a dark and cursed past while trying to protect her daughter. The cast also includes Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, Kherin Sharma, Jitin Gulati, and others. Written by Saiwyn Quadras, with dialogues by Aamil Keeyan Khan and Ajit Jagtap, the film blends horror with mythological themes and is said to be part of the Shaitaan universe.
Maa is set to hit theatres on June 27.
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