Movie: Munjya
Duration: 123 minutes
Director: Aditya Sarpotdar Cast: Sharvari, Mona Singh, Abhay Verma, Sathyaraj
IANS Rating: ****
In ‘Munjya’, director Aditya Sarpotdar takes the audience on a supernatural journey filled with love, loss and hair-raising horror experiences, and mixes it with an unexpectedly enjoyable comedy touch. With a story conceptualised and written by Yogesh Chandekar, the film is a brilliant look at a legend that is rarely talked about in films.
Yogesh and co-screenwriter Niren Bhatt have come up with a story that goes beyond the boundaries of the horror-comedy genre, and offers something new, unique and exciting to watch.
The film opens in 1952, with a young Brahmin boy falling deeply in love with a girl named Munni, but her family disapproves of the relationship. The boy’s angry mother punishes him harshly and forcibly performs the sacred thread ceremony.
The boy’s unrequited love for Munni leads him to perform an extreme ritual in the forest, in which he intends to sacrifice his sister to ensure his marriage to Munni. The ritual goes horribly wrong, resulting in the boy’s tragic death and his remains are buried by his family under the same tree where the ritual took place.
Set in modern Pune, Bittu (Abhay Verma) is a shy, handsome cosmetology student who lives with his mother Pammi (Mona Singh) and grandmother (Suhas Joshi). Bittu’s timid nature hides his deep affection for Bela (Sharvari), though he cannot muster the courage to express it.
Bittu, haunted by visions and whispers from the past, takes a major turn in his life when old secrets are revealed at a family wedding in his native village.
Bittu’s uncle reveals a horrifying family secret: that Dadi is the girl who unknowingly turned his brother into an evil spirit called Munjya. The revelation of this secret forces Bittu to confront the evil force.
Pammi’s reluctance to accept that face and grandmother’s hidden fears come to the fore when family tensions rise over the fate of ‘Chetuk Bari’ (Munjya’s native place).
After coming under Munjya’s control, Bittu faces a supernatural conflict that ultimately leads to his grandmother’s death. Now that the evil spirit is threatening Bela, Bittu must find a way to appease Munjya by locating Munni, who turns out to be Bela’s grandmother. The spirit’s obsession with Bela forces Bittu to seek the help of an exorcist (Sathyaraj), which culminates in a thrilling and intense encounter.
‘Munjya’ emerges as a game-changer in the horror-comedy genre with its innovative storyline and unmatched blend of thrill and laughter. The film’s background score and music add to the suspense, making the audience’s hearts beat in sync with the drama.
The direction, screenplay and cinematography are all meticulously crafted, delivering a visually stunning and narratively compelling experience. The acting is top-notch, with Abhay Verma and Mona Singh giving particularly noteworthy performances.
Sharvari shines as the girlfriend caught in a supernatural web and Sathyaraj brings a formidable presence to the film as a knowledgeable exorcist.
Produced by Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik, this Maddock Films produced film is a must watch, which is a rare combination of horror, comedy and heart touching moments. It is a perfect family entertainer that keeps you glued to your seat and makes you laugh and thrill at the same time.
