Comedy

Munjya

by Arjun Solanki

 Munjya


Munjya
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAditya Sarpotdar
Written byNiren Bhatt
Story byYogesh Chandekar
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySaurabh Goswami
Edited byMonisha R. Baldawa
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byPen Marudhar
Release date
  • 7 June 2024
Running time
123 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi



Munjya is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and starring Abhay Verma, Sharvari, Sathyaraj and Mona Singh. The titular character was entirely created using CGI.[5] Produced by Amar Kaushik and Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, it is the third installment in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe and focuses on the legend of Munjya, inspired by Indian folklore and mythology.
Munjya was theatrically released worldwide on 7 June 2024, garnering mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.[6] The film emerged as a sleeper hit, grossing ₹132.13 crore worldwide against a production cost of ₹30 crore, becoming the eighth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024.[7][8] At the 70th Filmfare Awards, the film won the award for Best Special Effects.[9]
Plot
In 1952, in a village in Konkan, a boy named Gotya is obsessed with Munni, a neighbour seven years older than him. After a failed attempt to harm her suitor, he undergoes his mundan ceremony while Munni is married off. Desperate to marry her, Gotya decides to perform a human sacrifice ritual under a peepal tree in the Chetukwadi forest, using his sister Gita as the intended victim. However, Gita escapes, and Gotya accidentally kills himself. His remains are buried beneath the tree to contain his vengeful spirit, which manifests as a supernatural entity called Munjya.
In present-day Pune, timid young Bittu works at his mother Pammi's beauty salon and shares a close bond with his grandmother, Gita. Heartbroken by the engagement of his childhood friend and crush, Bela, to her English companion Kuba, Bittu and his family travel to their ancestral village for his cousin Rukku's wedding. There, Bittu overhears a conversation between Gita and his uncle Balu about his late father's mysterious death linked to the haunted peepal tree. Disturbed, Bittu visits the tree and inadvertently releases Munjya. Gita saves Bittu but is killed in the process.
Back in Pune, Munjya begins haunting Bittu, insisting he arrange a marriage with Munni or else Pammi will be harmed. Bittu confides in his cousin Spielberg, and the two learn from Rukku that Munni is Bela’s wheelchair-using grandmother. Upon seeing Bela, who resembles a young Munni, Munjya shifts his obsession to her, planning to marry her by performing a ritual that involves transferring his soul into a goat (Parakāyapraveśa) and sacrificing Bela under the same tree.
With advice from an eccentric exorcist named Elvis, Bittu, Spielberg, Pammi, and Bela travel back to the village under the pretense of filming an ad for Bela’s Zumba centre. Kuba also arrives but is attacked by the jealous Munjya. On the wedding day, the group transfers Munjya's soul into a goat by drawing a mystical symbol on its head and attempts to behead it to end him, but a drunken Bela draws the same symbol on her own forehead, causing Munjya to possess her and her soul to enter the goat. As the possessed Bela attacks the group, Balu abducts the goat and presumably cooks it, allegedly transferring Bela’s spirit into him. Elvis draws the symbol on Balu's forehead to help Bela's soul return to her body, but it is revealed that a different goat was slaughtered. Munjya then possesses Balu, while Bela’s soul returns to her body. Bittu and Bela flee but are pursued by the possessed Balu. With the guidance of Gita’s spirit, Bittu overcomes his fears and subdues Munjya by trapping him in the peepal tree and setting it ablaze.
Later, Bittu confesses his love to Bela, but she prefers to remain friends. The final scene shows burnt logs from the peepal tree being transported elsewhere, hinting at Munjya’s lingering presence.
In the post-credits scene, Bhaskar is seen stranded naked in the forest. Jana brings him clothes, including underwear from the "Munni" brand, inadvertently attracting the attention of Munjya.
Cast
Adapted from the opening and closing credits:[10]
  • Sharvari as Bela / Munni (young portion)
  • Suhas Joshi as Gita (Ajii), Bittu's grandmother and Munjya's sister
  • Khushi Hajare as Young Gita
  • Taranjot Singh as Diljit Singh Dhillon a.k.a. Spielberg[11]
  • Bhagyashree Limaye as Rukku
  • Ayush Ulagadde as Gotya / Munjya
  • Richard Lovatt as Kuba
  • Anay Kamat as Gotya's father
  • Padmini Sardesai as Munni Kanitkar a.k.a. "Akka"
  • Shrikant Mohan Yadav as Jaggu
  • Reema Chaudhary as Mahua
  • Rasika Vengurlekar as lady in bus
  • Radhika Vidyasagar as Savitri
  • Akshay Vengulikar as Bittu's father
  • Abhijeet Chavan as Doctor
Production
Inspiration
Talking with Mid-Day, Bhatt discussed the traditional four stages of life in Hinduism: Brahmacharya (student life), Gṛhastha (householder life), Vanaprastha (retirement), and Sannyasa (renunciation). He mentions the Upanayan ceremony known as Munja in Marathi, which marks the beginning of the student phase, and the Sod Munja ceremony, which marks the transition from student life to householder life. Essentially, he's explaining the significance of these ceremonies in the context of life's stages according to Hindu tradition. If a man passes away without getting married after his munja ceremony but before his Sod Munja, he transforms into a Munjya—a spirit dwelling in peepal trees or close to wells. Peepal trees emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide after nightfall, and the apprehension of encountering Munjya deters people from sitting under them after sunset. According to Bhatt, Munjya is perceived as a creature that is both monstrous and childlike due to dying at a young age. Munjya tends to trouble people to fulfill its desires, often fixating on marriage. Munjya's are not usually malevolent; rather, they are seen as immature and petty nuisances. They have a peculiar fondness for throwing stones at individuals standing beneath trees.[12][13]
Development
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] Munjya is acclaimed as inaugural CGI film starring an animated character.[14] The film is helmed by Aditya Sarpotdar, explores the legendary creature from Indian folklore, according to a statement from the makers.[15] 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. We meticulously developed a CGI creature through extensive research and development to ensure accuracy".[16]



Casting
Abhay Verma has been selected to star alongside Sharvari in the film. 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. Her dating experiences add to the relatability of the character, resonating with numerous women."[17][18] The film features Mona Singh, Sathyaraj in other pivotal roles supported by Suhas Joshi, Ajay Purkar, and Bhagyashree Limaye.[19][20] Singh opened her role in the film during an interview with ANI News, she cast in the role of Pammi, the mother of Bittu, played by Abhay. Pammi is depicted as strict and overly protective of her son, leading to a journey marked by various challenges and surprises.[21] The Marathi actress Rasika Vengurlekar was seen in the teaser is playing a bit part in the film.[22] Radhika Vidyasagar made her film debut, playing the role of housewife in Konkan.[23][24]
Filming
The film was shot in Kudal and Guhagar in the Konkan region of Maharashtra.[17][25]
Music
Munjya
Soundtrack album by 
Sachin–Jigar
Released17 June 2024
Recorded2023
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length13:09
LanguageHindi
LabelZee Music Company
Sachin–Jigar chronology
Murder Mubarak
(2023)		Munjya
(2024)		Stree 2
(2024)
Official audio
Munjya (Audio Jukebox) on YouTube
Sachin–Jigar composed the music for the film, while "Hai Jamalo" is co-composed by Skeletron.[26] Lyrics are written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.[27]

Tracks
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Taras"Jasmine Sandlas, Sumonto Mukherjee, Sachin–Jigar3:08
2."Tainu Khabar Nahi"Arijit Singh, Sachin-Jigar3:08
3."Hai Jamalo"Nakash Aziz, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Jigar Saraiya2:29
4."Lori"Hansika Pareek, Sachin-Jigar2:58
5."Tainu Khabar Nahi" (Climax Version)Varun Jain1:26
Total length:13:09



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Arjun Solanki

Posted by Arjun Solanki