Munjya Movie Review
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: The folktale of Munjya, the Brahmarakshas, comes alive when Bittoo digs deep into his ancestral roots.
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Director: Aditya Sarpotdar
Writers: Niren Bhatt, Yogesh Chandekar, Tushar Ajgaonkar
Music: Sachin-Jigar
Cast: Abhay Verma, Sharvari Wagh, Mona Singh, Suhas Joshi, Sathyaraj
Munjya Movie Review:
Banking on the success of Stree, Maddock has expanded this particular genre of horror comedy into a universe. Treading on thin lines, they have mastered the formula of balancing humor and horror. Another entry in the universe comes in the form of a Konkani folktale, Munjya.
In 1952, Konkan, a young boy named Gotya has gone crazy to marry a girl named Munni who is 7 years older to him. Gotya’s mother is frustrated by his obsession with the girl. During his Munja (thread ceremony among Brahmins), the girl is wedded off to someone else. Gotya in order to get her by hook or crook, resorts to black magic. Things turn ugly during the process and Gotya turns into Munjya, a Brahmarakshas tied to the ancestral tree forever.
Years later, Bittu, a descendant of Gotya’s family starts getting visions of the tree and Munjya. During a visit to the village, Bittu is drawn by the curiosity about knowing about his father’s death and the place he has visions of. After a fight with his mother, Bittu rushes to Chetukwadi, the place where Munjya lives. Munjya clings onto Bittu and so does his desire to marry Munni. Will Munjya ever complete his creepy wish or will Bittu manage to escape out of this horrors is how the movie unfolds.
The first half is very straightforward and on point, wasting no time on anything else. The introduction of the Konkan world and the acceptance of ancestral ghosts by the family sets the tone for the film. The themes of black magic and Konkan folktales have always been horrifying but the CGI creature taking the form of one such folktale is scary and creepy at the same time.
The vile nature of the CGI creature also adds to the horror instead of being a distraction. The horror is very family friendly and the constant humor keeps the mood light for the faint hearted. Some of the jump scares will leave you terrified. I loved how they haven’t resorted to simply jump scares and have actually built tension through scenes.
The background music elevates the horror aspect quite nicely. The cinematography too sets the tone but half of it being CGI, the drone shots started bothering me after a point. The post credits song Taras will easily make you dance. The CGI and the VFX is really good for a movie with such a production budget. Maddock has really nailed the balance between story and the CGI characters. The characters come alive with their unique style be it Bhediya, Stree and now Munjya. Munjya has a witty sense of humor which makes it even more interesting. The editing is somewhat choppy but still bearable.
Abhay Verma’s performance is superlative and perfect. A typical nerd is what the story wanted and a typical nerd is what he delivered. Sharvari brings out her charm in every scene. Sathyaraj has a very fun character and his timing makes it even better. Suhas Joshi and Mona Singh add to the mix with their experience.
All in all, Munjya is an interesting folktale coming alive with the mix of horror and humor. Even though there’s horror, it has been watered down for family friendly viewing so go flock the theatres in numbers. Munjya awaits your presence.