Munjya Movie Review | Filmfare.com (2024)

After the success of Tumbaad (2018) and Kantara (2022), filmmakers are increasingly turning to Indian folklore as inspiration points. Director Aditya Sarpotdar’s Munjya, written by Yogesh Chandekar and Niren Bhatt, is another step in that direction.

The latest horror-comedy from the makers of Stree (2018) and Bhediya (2022) is supposedly based on a folk tale from Maharashtra’s Konkan region, about a boy who dies soon after his thread ceremony and becomes a demon. His spirit, bound to the grove where he died, seeks to find peace by fulfilling his unfulfilled desire: marriage. He possesses the easily frightened Bittu (Abhay Verma) to execute his nefarious plans. Bittu, a timid and superstitious young man, returns to his ancestral village for a family function. He is in one-sided love with Bela (Sharvari Wagh), his college senior, who is in a relationship with a firang and has friendzoned him. His cousin Diljit (Taran Singh) and the psychic Elvis Karim Prabhakar (Sathyaraj) help him exorcise the demon. His spirited grandmother (Suhas Joshi) also offers him support and advice in his fight against the supernatural entity.

The film blends elements of horror and comedy, using the eerie atmosphere of the village and the dark humour of Bittu’s predicament to create a unique and entertaining narrative. Bittu's interactions with Munjya, his comedic attempts to woo Bela, and his misadventures while trying to exorcise the spirit forms the crux of the story. With its mix of folklore, humour, and scares, the film aims to captivate audiences and deliver a fresh take on the horror-comedy genre.

Abhay Verma looks like he's based on the ever-loveable boy with glasses, Harry Potter to be precise. He also gets to fight evil with a cane, just like Potter. Munjya looks like a cousin of sorts to Gollum from the Lord of the Rings. There's a Gollum movie coming and maybe director Andy Serkis should look into Muniya to seek inspiration. Jokes aside, the character animation is spot on. The success of the film depended on it and the VFX artists have done a wonderful job. Cinematography by Saurabh Goswami vividly captures the surreal atmosphere.

It feels like director Sarpotdar wasn't able to decide which road to take. The dark elements at the beginning of the film, which made you believe you'd watching a grim, gore-infested film, give way to comedy as the film progresses. Muniya’s dark side gets suppressed and at some parts, he's reduced to being a somewhat ugly toy. That's not to say that the film isn't entertaining. It'll keep you engaged throughout and you'll definitely laugh at the mayhem being enacted on screen.

The casting is pitch perfect. Abhay Verma looks like the very picture of a young lad caught out of his depths. His geeky good looks and an air of being perpetually confused go well with the character he portrays. Suhas Joshi looks like a doting grandmother who is willing to lay down her life for her family. Mona Singh too is a delight as a Sikhni married to a Maharashtrian, who hasn't come to terms with her late husband's family despite the passage of years. Sharvari Wagh comes alive in the second half, when she encounters Munjya. She's done her bit as a woman who is yet to find herself. Sathyaraj’s character of Elvis Karim Prabhakar was under utilised and needs a standalone film. We hope to see more of him in producer Dinesh Vijan’s horror Universe.

All-in-all, watch Munjya for its twisted blend of horror and comedy, as well as the inspired acting displayed by the entire ensemble cast.