Munjya (film)

Munjya is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and starring Sharvari, Abhay Verma, Sathyaraj and Mona Singh.

[6][7] In 1952, in Garge village in the Konkan's Chiplun area, a young boy named Gotya is in love with Munni, a girl seven years older than him.

After being scolded by his mother and made a priest, Gotya, determined to marry Munni, takes his sister Gita to a dense jungle called Chetukwadi to perform black magic under a peepal tree.

Several decades later, in Pune, Bittu is a timid young man working as a hairdresser at his mother Pammi's salon while planning to study cosmetology.

There, his uncle Balu Kaka reveals that Bittu's father went insane and died near the haunted tree, believed to be caused by Munjya.

Bittu and Spielberg seek help from an exorcist, Elvis, who devises a plan to transfer Munjya into a goat through parakāyapraveśa ritual (using a spirit swapping symbol) and kill it.

In a mid-credits scene, Bhaskar aka Bhediya is stranded naked in a jungle and receives clothes from Jana, including underwear from a brand named "Munni", which is observed by Munjya.

Peepal trees emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide after nightfall, and the apprehension of encountering Munjya deters people from sitting under them after sunset.

[9][10] Bhatt states that the tale initially entered their sphere through Yogesh Chandekar, who introduced a renowned figure from his region to Maddock Films.

Bhatt and Kaushik spent three years to developing the story, conducting research by exploring numerous wadas and orchards in the Dapoli and Ganpatipule regions where Munjya's are said to have been "tied down".

[12] Sarpotdar and his team, in collaboration with DNEG, spent nearly a year to crafting the eerie and mischievous main character entirely through computer-generated imagery.

Sarpotdar explained in an interview with PTI, "Half of the film's budget went into VFX, a significant allocation underscoring its importance.

Describing her role, Sharvari mentioned, "I play a contemporary woman determined to pursue her dreams above all else, a sentiment many can identify with in today's world.

At the box office, the film might start slow but it has the potential to pick up due to the genre, word of mouth and connection with the Maddock Cinematic Universe.

"[33] Dhaval Roy of The Times of India rated the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote "The movie leaves some questions unanswered, and certain elements fail to add up.

Nevertheless, the atmospheric setting, hilarious moments, and engaging performances make it an entertaining watch, especially for viewers seeking a horror- comedy experience with a youthful energy.

[35] Rishil Jogani of Pinkvilla rated the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Munjya has redeeming qualities but the irritating monster, formulaic tropes and the outrageous climax make it the horror show that it doesn't intend to be.