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EXCLUSIVE: No edits, no ‘A’ rating – The Kajol-led film Maa is an UNCOMMON horror movie that has received a U/A certificate.
Following a remarkable week for Bollywood, highlighted by the Aamir Khan film Sitaare Zameen Par, the trade and industry is now preparing for another thrilling release, Maa. The film’s trailer has garnered attention due to its cast, featuring Kajol, its horror genre, and its intriguing subject matter. There was some apprehension that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) would request multiple cuts, and even after those adjustments, the film might still receive an ‘A’ rating. However, in a delightful turn of events, the CBFC has surprised everyone with its decision regarding this film.
According to the cut list, the CBFC has approved the film without any audio or visual alterations. A source informed Bollywood Hungama, “With the CBFC, one can never be certain. In Sitaare Zameen Par, the members requested that Michael Jackson be substituted with ‘lovebirds’ and ‘Business Woman’ was modified to ‘Business Person’. This, along with the demand to include a quote from the Prime Minister, caused quite a stir. Therefore, there was concern that if a clean film like Sitaare Zameen Par faced such edits, what would be in store for Maa, which is a horror film.”
The source stated, “Nevertheless, the CBFC’s Examining Committee did not remove any scenes, although some parts are unsettling. Furthermore, they permitted the film to receive a U/A 16+ rating. This indicates that viewers under 18 can also watch this film.”
This is unusual since most horror or supernatural films typically receive an ‘A’ certificate, such as Chhorii 2 (2025), 1920: Horrors Of The Heart (2023), Bhoot: Part One – The Haunted Ship (2020), Amavas (2019), Ghost (2019), Tumbbad (2018), and others. The only other recent supernatural Hindi film that did not obtain an adults-only certificate was Shaitaan (2024); similar to Maa, it was also produced by Devgn Films and Jio Studios. In contrast, horror comedies are generally approved with a U/A certificate.
Returning to Maa, the CBFC requested the filmmakers to extend the disclaimer duration to a more readable length and to include information regarding “anti-girl child and human sacrifice”. Finally, according to the regulations established in 2021, the filmmakers were instructed to present the film’s title in Hindi as well.
After these modifications were implemented, the censor certificate was issued to the creators of Maa on June 20. The film’s duration, as stated on the censor certificate, is 135.35 minutes, which translates to 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 35 seconds.
Maa is set to premiere in theaters on June 27.
