Horror movies may be slowly becoming common in Hindi cinema, but well-made movies in the genre still remain rare. Rarer even, writer Saiwyn Quadras points out, are scare fests rooted in Indian culture. That’s where Maa comes in.

Quadras, who has written the upcoming Kajol-starrer, shares, “Maa is a blend of mythology, horror, and fantasy, which has supernatural elements stemming from our tradition and culture. That has been missing from Hindi films.”

Directed by Vishal Furia, Maa is set in West Bengal and revolves around a mother who goes all out to protect her daughter from an evil force. Quadras says that the idea struck him after he noticed Kajol’s devotion to Durga.

“Ajay [Devgn, producer] wanted a horror story for Kajol ma’am, and I didn’t have any in mind. One day, it struck me that during every Durga Puja, Kajol visits the pandals in Mumbai. Durga Maa is the symbol of maternal love. Her love is considered a weakness, but if a mother is pushed to a corner to protect her child, that weakness becomes her strength. That formed the story arc — Maa Durga becoming Maa Kali to protect her child.”

When he pitched the concept to Devgn, it was an instant yes. “Ajay sir asked me to write it in 10 days, but within four days, he asked me to narrate it to Kajol ma’am,” the writer recalls. Another yes promptly followed. “She fell in love with the concept, and asked me if I’d be ready with the script in a month. When I said I couldn’t, she said, ‘I believe in you. You can do it.’”

He adds that he couldn’t have asked for a stronger performer than Kajol to lead the movie. “She is magic. She will be crying as per the scene, and the moment the director says cut, she is back to normal, asking, ‘Where’s my coffee?’”

A horror film’s advantage is that it can easily lend itself to a franchise. Is there any discussion of taking Maa down that route?

Quadras says, “It will depend on the producers’ excitement to take the story forward, depending on the film’s success or failure. I have a few ideas of continuing the journey. I had an idea two months ago, which I shared with Ajay sir and he liked it.”