Munjya (2024) -Hindi Movie Review

 

Munjya (2024) 

Munjya (2024) Movie Trailer

Overview of the Movie Munjya

Munjya, directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Amar Kaushik and Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language supernatural comedy horror film. As the third installment in the Maddock Supernatural Universe, the film draws inspiration from Indian folklore and mythology, particularly the legend of the Munjya. It features a talented cast including Sharvari, Abhay Verma, Mona Singh, and Sathyaraj.

 Plot Summary

The narrative of Munjya begins in 1952 in a small Konkan village where a young Brahmin boy named Gotya falls in love with Munni, a girl seven years his senior. When Munni's marriage is arranged with another man, Gotya attempts to poison her suitor but fails. Desperate and scolded by his mother, Gotya, determined to marry Munni, performs black magic in a dense jungle called Chetukwadi under a peepal tree. However, the ritual goes awry, and Gotya accidentally kills himself, becoming the malevolent spirit Munjya who haunts the tree.

Decades later, in Pune, the timid young Bittu works as a hairdresser at his mother Pammi's salon. He deeply loves his grandmother and harbors feelings for his childhood friend Bela, who has recently returned from the United States with her boyfriend Kuba. Heartbroken by Bela's relationship with Kuba, Bittu experiences recurring nightmares about the haunted peepal tree.

When Bittu's family travels to their ancestral home in Konkan for his cousin Rukku's engagement, his uncle Balu Kaka reveals that Bittu's father died near the haunted tree, believed to be caused by Munjya. Despite warnings, Bittu visits the tree and gets possessed by Munjya. Tragedy strikes as Bittu's grandmother, revealed to be Gotya's sister Gita, is killed by Munjya. Munjya then demands Bittu's help in marrying Munni, who is now Bela's grandmother.

Confiding in his friend Spielberg, Bittu learns about Munni's history from Rukku. With Munjya now interested in Bela and planning to marry and sacrifice her, Bittu and Spielberg seek help from an exorcist named Elvis. They devise a plan to transfer Munjya into a goat and kill it, but the plan fails, leading to Bela's possession. In a climactic battle, Bittu, guided by Gita's spirit, defeats Munjya by transferring him into the tree, which is then burned.

The film concludes with Bittu confessing his feelings to Bela, who values their friendship. Spielberg and Rukku start collaborating on video shoots, and Balu Kaka begins behaving like a tree. The remnants of the burnt tree containing Munjya's spirit are transported away, hinting that Munjya may still be alive 

Cast and Characters

Sharvari- as Bela

Abhay Verma- as Bittu

Sathyaraj- as Elvis Karim Prabhakar

Mona Singh- as Pamela, Bittu's mother

Ayush Ulagadde- as Munjya alias Gotya

Bhagyashree Limaye-as Rukku

Ajay Purkar- as Balu Kaka

Richard Lovatt- as Kuba

Shruti Marathe- as Gotya's mother

Taranjot Singh- as Spielberg

Anay Kamat- as Gotya's father

Reema Chaudhary-as Mahua

Rasika Vengurlekar- as a lady in the bus

Radhika Vidyasagar- as a housewife

Varun Dhawan- and -Abhishek Banerjee- in cameo roles as Bhaskar Sharma and Janardan Sharma

Production

Inspiration

Munjya is deeply rooted in Indian folklore, drawing specifically from the legend of Munjya, a spirit believed to haunt peepal trees. Aditya Sarpotdar, along with producers Amar Kaushik and Dinesh Vijan, dedicated three years to developing the story, conducting extensive research in various regions of Maharashtra where Munjya legends are prevalent.

Casting

The lead roles are portrayed by Abhay Verma and Sharvari, with Sharvari playing a modern woman determined to pursue her dreams. Mona Singh plays Pammi, Bittu's strict and protective mother. Supporting roles are filled by Suhas Joshi, Rasika Vengurlekar, and Radhika Vidyasagar, among others.