Munjya (2024) Movie Review.

Munjya Movie Synopsis:

Munjya is the story of a menacing spirit. The movie is about a young boy – Bittu who resides in Pune but travles to his village for a family function and bumps into Munjya, a spirit of one of his forefathers who passed away in 1952 and who’s looking for his bride, a girl named Munni. Munjya is tied to a banyan tree but circumstances are such that he gets attached to the guy. Munjya makes his life hell as he asks him to find Munni. But Munni has shifted from Munjya’s village long back and finding her will be a tough job for him. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Star Cast: Sharvari, Abhay Verma, Mona Singh, S Sathyaraj

Director: Aditya Sarpotdar.

Review:

Yogesh Chandekar‘s story is fascinating. There have been different films on different kinds of spirits but this is the first film on a ‘Munjya‘ and hence, it stands out. ‘Munjya‘ means a man who passes away without getting married after his munja ceremony but before his Sod Munja, transforms into a spirit dwelling in Peepal trees or close to wells. Niren Bhatt‘s screenplay is captivating but has some loose ends in the first half. The dialogues add to the entertainment quotient of the film. The cinematography as well is quite neat. VFX is praiseworthy. The character of Munjya, especially, is very well conceptualized and created.

Aditya Sarpotdar’s direction is effective. The director uses his skills to build an eerie atmosphere. At the same time, he also doesn’t sacrifice the humor bit and eventually, the film ends up having both comedy and horror in equal doses. He keeps the narrative fast-paced and doesn’t let viewers feel bored. He neatly introduces the back story at the very start and then takes the plot forward. The second half is much better with the climax turning out to be full of twists and turns. The film ends on an intriguing note and watch out for the mid-credit scene. The movie takes us back to the folklore days & the typical village life!

On the flip-side, the first half gets a bit heavy as too much information is thrown at the viewer and it’s only in the second half that things get clear. Some jokes don’t have the desired impact. Also, in places, the narrative moves too quickly. Also, while the director sums up all the tracks properly, he doesn’t provide details on what happened to a crucial character.

Sharvari has a strong screen presence; when she’s in the frame, one doesn’t look at anyone else. Performance-wise, she’s first-rate and looks sizzling in the song ‘Taras’. However, she doesn’t have much to do in the first half. Abhay Verma gets into the skin of his character and gives a very able performance. He also gets his body language right. Mona Singh leaves a huge mark in a supporting role. S Sathyaraj is very entertaining and his casting adds a lot to the film.

On the whole, MUNJYA is an entertaining horror-comedy with a gripping second half. One of the best horror comedy thriller movie based on the tales which a villager always hear from their grandma that a ghost stay in the holy huge tree Peepal. An absolute must-watch!

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