Munjya

Munjya

Release Date: 17 June 2024

Director: Aditya Sarpotdar

Producer: Dinesh Vijan, Amar Kaushik

Cast: {{plainlist

Music Director: <br>Sachin–Jigar, , Justin Varghese

Box Office: Not available

Plot Summary: {{plot too long|date=June 2024}} In 1952 in a village in Konkan, Gotya is a young Brahmin boy who is in love with a girl named Munni who is 7 years older than him. Her marriage is fixed with another man and Gotya attempts to poison the man but is unsuccessful. Gotya's mother beats and scolds him, saying that he cannot be allowed to marry Munni. An adamant Gotya then takes his younger sister Gita to Chetukwadi, a dense jungle and prepares to perform black magic underneath a peepal tree, which would allow him to marry Munni. He attempts to sacrifice his sister as part of a ritual but she manages to defend herself and in the ensuing tussle, Gotya dies by getting his head hit by the tree trunk. His dead body is then cremated but since he died 10 days prior to his ''Upanayana'' (thread ceremony), he transforms into a malevolent creature named ''Munjya'' and continues to haunt the peepal tree waiting to fulfil his wish of marrying Munni.Several decades later in Pune, Bittu is a meek and timid young man who works as a hairdresser at his mother Pammi's salon and wishes to pursue a course in cosmetology. He loves his grandmother dearly and is deeply attached to her. His father had died many years ago but he was never told the reason behind his death. He is in love with his childhood friend Bela but has never managed to confess his feelings to her. Bela, who has returned after completing her studies from abroad, works as a Zumba instructor and her boyfriend Kuba proposes to her for marriage in front of Bittu which saddens him. He also has frequent nightmares and visions of the same peepal tree in which Munjya resides, but is unaware of its history.To attend his cousin Rukku's engagement ceremony, Bittu along with his family head to their ancestral house in their native village in Konkan, which is revealed to be the same where Gotya used to live. Bittu's uncle Balu Kaka reveals to Bittu that many years ago, Bittu's father had gone near the haunted peepal tree at Chetukwadi despite several warnings. He had died at that place and Munjya was believed to be behind his death. Bittu is shocked upon learning this and feels hurt that the truth was hidden from him for so long. He heads straight to Chetukwadi by himself ignoring everyone's warnings.Upon coming near the peepal tree, Bittu is attacked by Munjya who says that he was awaiting the arrival of his descendant. Bittu's grandmother, who is revealed to be Gotya's younger sister Gita, attacks Munjya with the cane with which their mother used to beat Gotya. This makes Munjya back off and the two escape. Gita reveals to Bittu that his father also used to have visions of the peepal tree. Just then, Munjya appears in front of them, possesses Bittu and kills Gita. Shocked and heartbroken, Bittu and Pammi return to their home in Pune, with Bittu still under the possession of Munjya.Munjya continues to haunt him and appears in front of him only after sunset, demanding that Bittu help him get married to Munni. He threatens to kill Pammi and all his friends if he does not listen to his demands. Seeing Bittu's strange behaviour and with Munjya being invisible to them, everyone around him assumes that he has started consuming drugs due to the trauma of his grandmother's death, feeling deeply concerned for him.Bittu reveals the truth about him being possessed by Munjya to his best friend Diljit Singh Dhillon aka Spielberg who is a big fan of Steven Spielberg and also has a fascination towards aliens and videography.  Spielberg cannot see Munjya but can hear his voice and sense his presence which scares him. They both come up with a plan to find out the identity of Munni. They contact Rukku and ask her if any woman named Munni used to live in their village. Rukku reveals that a girl named Munni used to live in their neighbouring house but she had moved to another city following her marriage many years ago. She sends them a photo of Munni and they are surprised to see that Munni looks eerily similar to Bela.Thinking that Munni and Bela might be related, they visit Bela's house and discover that Munni is Bela's grandmother. Seeing that Munni has grown old now, Munjya does not want to get married to her anymore. However since Bela looks similar to Munni in her younger days, Munjya is attracted to Bela and says that he wants to marry Bela instead. He adds that he would sacrifice Bela as part of a ritual so that they both can be united after her death. This leaves Bittu shocked, knowing that he might lose Bela forever.Bittu and Spielberg visit an exorcist named Elvis Karim Prabhakar and ask for his help to solve their problem. Elvis shows them some ancient manuscripts and reveals the history of Munjya to them. He suggests a plan to get rid of Munjya forever - They must acquire a goat and draw a symbol on it with blood which would let Munjya transfer himself into its body in order to attain a physical form. They should then pretend to get Bela married to the goat and kill the goat before the marriage takes place, which would make Munjya disappear forever. He also warns them that the same symbol should not be drawn on anyone else other than the goat.Bittu and Spielberg bring Bela to their village on the pretext of doing a video shoot, with Pammi and Elvis joining them, the latter without revealing his true identity to others. Kuba also arrives there, which annoys Bittu. Kuba takes Bela near the jungle to kiss which makes Munjya jealous. He drags Kuba deep into the jungle and bites off his testicles. Kuba is hospitalized, they mix alcohol into coconut water and make Bela drink it, following which Rukku also sees Munjya as she is from the same lineage. Bittu, Spielberg and Rukku then acquire a goat belonging to Balu kaka and take a drunken Bela to Chetukwadi to carry out their plan.They come underneath the peepal tree and draw the symbol on the goat's body. However, Bela in her drunken state also draws the same symbol on her forehead. Munjya then transfers himself into Bela's body and attacks them. Bela's soul is transferred into the goat's body and the goat runs away from there. The others manage to escape and are shocked to find that Balu Kaka has made mutton curry from the goat. Elvis arrives there and uses blessed salt to draw a circle around Munjya in Bela's body which she would not be able to cross. He says that Bela's soul would be inside Balu Kaka and they draw the symbol on Balu Kaka's forehead. However, it is revealed that the goat containing Bela's soul is still alive and that Balu Kaka had cooked mutton curry from another goat.Munjya in Bela's body manages to cross the circle by fooling Rukku following which he appears in front of Balu Kaka and the goat with the symbol drawn on them. Their souls are interchanged - The souls of Bela and the goat are transferred back into their own bodies and Munjya is transferred into Balu Kaka's body. Munjya then drags Bela to the jungle near the peepal tree and prepares to sacrifice her. Just then Gita's soul appears in front of Bittu and gives him the cane which would help him defeat Munjya. Bittu then fights Munjya with the cane and draws the symbol on the peepal tree which transfers Munjya into the tree. Munjya then uses the branches of the tree to attack them but they manage to burn the tree and Munjya is assumed to be gone forever.Bittu confesses his feelings to Bela but she says that she sees him as her best friend and does not want to lose him. Bittu understands and says that their friendship will remain forever. Spielberg and Rukku start working with each other for video shoots. As the peepal tree's soul was transferred into Balu Kaka's body, he starts to act like a tree and stands on one leg, asking everyone to "water him". It is revealed that the peepal tree has been cut down, with its parts being transported to various locations and Munjya is still alive within those parts of the tree.In a mid-credits scene, Jana brings some clothes for Bhaskar aka Bhediya to wear as he is stranded naked in the jungle, presumably after being transformed into a werewolf the previous night. He wears underwear from a brand named Munni which Munjya observes.

Music Director: <br>Sachin–Jigar, , Justin Varghese

Box Office: Not available

Film Review

🌟🌟🌟 (3 out of 5 stars)

Hey there, Bollywood buffs! Buckle up, because Review Rani is here to serve up yet another dose of her sarcastic, side-splitting, and absolutely unsweetened take on the latest flick to hit the big screen - 'Munjya'. Let's dive into the haunted woods, shall we?

'Munjya' is what happens when a lovesick lad from the past decides to crash into his descendant's love life with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. The film, helmed by Director Aditya Sarpotdar, tries to marry horror and comedy, but ends up looking like that awkward couple at a party who can't decide whether they want to salsa or slow dance.

The story takes us back to the 1950s, where our doe-eyed Romeo, Gotya, dabbles in the darker arts (because chocolates and flowers are so mainstream) to win the heart of his beloved Munni. Unfortunately, his black magic antics backfire and he ends up turning into Munjya, a restless spirit with the temper of a toddler, trapped in a tree for eternity.

Fast forward to the present, where our modern-day hero, Bittu (played by Abhay Verma), bumps into his ghostly ancestor. Munjya, seeing an opportunity, latches onto Bittu like a barnacle on a ship, determined to finally marry Munni. But in a twisted game of musical chairs, he sets his sights on Bittu's girlfriend, Bela (portrayed by Sharvari). What follows is a roller-coaster ride filled with more chills and chuckles than a haunted house at a carnival.

The film is visually striking, with cinematographer Saurabh Goswami capturing the eerie beauty of the forests and ruins. The CGI-created Munjya is an impressive feat, but towards the end, the spirit-hopping antics become as ridiculous as a clown juggling chainsaws.

Abhay Verma as Bittu delivers a performance that is as enjoyable as a bag of popcorn, while Sharvari as Bela is as refreshing as a chilled soda. The supporting cast, including Mona Singh as Bittu's fiery Punjabi mom and S Sathyaraj as a comical godman, add a dash of spice to the mix.

The film attempts to thread a social message about consent in love, which is as subtle as a neon sign at a rave party. But hey, kudos for trying! There are plot holes big enough to drive a truck through and a few bits and pieces that just don't add up. But, let's be real, we're here for the laughs and the chills, not a lesson in logic.

In a nutshell, 'Munjya' is like a rollercoaster ride - it's thrilling, it's fun, but it's also a bit of a hot mess. But if you're in the mood for some light-hearted spooks and giggles, give it a go. And remember, stay after the credits for a surprise that's as unexpected as finding a raisin in your samosa.

Until the next reel rolls, stay tuned, and remember, Review Rani is here to keep it real and reel.