Kajol called Tanuja Chandra’s 1998 psychological thriller, Dushman, one of the scariest films she has ever done while celebrating its 25th release anniversary in May. Now, that’s soon going to change, as we hear she has agreed to do an even more scary film this coming year. PeepingMoon.com has exclusively learned that Kajol has signed the first “horror film” of her three-decade-long career.

The film has tentatively been titled Maa and will be produced by her superstar husband Ajay Devgn under the banner of Ajay Devgn FFilms, while Vishal Furia, known for directing Nushrratt Bharuccha’s Chhorii, will be helming it. “From romance and slice-of-life to family dramas and thrillers, Kajol has acted in a wide range of genres, showcasing her versatility as an actor. However, horror is a genre she has never explored and one she has been wanting to try her hand at. So when Vishal Furia approached her with this gripping script set in a very unusual world, she instantly embraced it. It’s a world we have never seen Kajol in before, and she is madly excited to embark on this new thrilling journey,” a source close to the development told us.

The film is centered around motherhood, as the title suggests, but the specifics of the plot are being kept under the dark side of the moon. The film is currently in pre-production stage and will go on floors in January in Kolkata. It’s yet unclear, however, if the film is for a theatrical release or will bow directly on an OTT platform.

Kajol has lately been choosing projects that take her beyond her comfort zone, and Maa is yet another film poised to challenge her acting prowess. It’s also an exciting addition to what already looks like a stellar 2024 lineup for her. Next year, she stars alongside Malayalam superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran and Saif Ali Khan’s debutant son Ibrahim Ali Khan in Dharma Productions' Sarzameen, besides playing a cop in Netflix's Do Patti, a captivating mystery thriller co-starring Kriti Sanon.

Meanwhile, Vishal Furia is presently awaiting the release of his two projects: Nushrratt Bharuccha’s Chhorii 2 and Applause Entertainment’s suspense thriller series, 36 Days. The latter is a SonyLIV show starring an ensemble cast featuring Neha Sharma, Purab Kohli, Sharib Hashmi, Shruti Seth, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and Amruta Khanvilkar, among others.