Bollywood has a history of bringing folk stories to the silver screen, with films like “Paheli,” “Tumbbad,” and “Stree” proving successful. Combining the supernatural genre with traditional folk stories to create a new cinematic experience is a challenging task.
In 2024, director Aditya Sarpotdar experimented with this concept again in his film “Munjya.” But who are these Munjyas? According to folklore, Munjyas are spirits that reside on peepal trees or near wells. If a young person passes away with unfulfilled wishes, they transform into a Munjya, appearing monstrous yet retaining childlike qualities due to their premature demise.
These types of stories are familiar to children who are loyal “Chandamama” readers. However, Aditya has introduced this story to Bollywood in a unique way. The protagonist, Bittu, played effortlessly by Abhay Verma, resembles a typical Harry Potter look-alike. Bittu falls in love with Bela, and the story takes a twist when a ghost, Munjya, also falls in love with her.
Gotya, the childhood brother of Bittu’s grandmother, had one wish: to marry Munni, who was older than him. When he dies without fulfilling this wish, he becomes a Munjya. Now, he falls in love with Bela (Sharvari), and it becomes Bittu’s responsibility to unite them. Munjya torments Bittu with petty nuisances and creates silly problems, demanding that Bittu ensure Bela marries Munjya, or else he will be killed.
To rescue himself and rid himself of the supernatural creature, Bittu consults a spiritual healer named Elvis, played by Sathyaraj, famously known as Kattappa in “Baahubali.” The rest of the story revolves around Elvis’s plan and Bittu’s execution to get rid of Munjya.
One of the best aspects of the film is its runtime. The 2-hour runtime allows the audience to enjoy the film without inconvenience. However, the second half could have been better. Despite being a supernatural film, the comedy dominates the main theme. Taranjot Singh as Spielberg and Richard Lovatt as Kuba create some laughs. Many scenes in the film are illogical, but if you want to enjoy unique humor with an unusual story, it’s worth a try. “Munjya” collected ₹36.27 crores in 5 days, becoming a sleeper hit.
“Munjya” also delivers a powerful message about fear. It illustrates how fear can create havoc in anyone’s life and how self-determination is essential to overcoming it. Bittu’s character represents a loser’s attitude and how additional problems in life can derail one’s ultimate goals.
A boy who wants to study cosmetology abroad stops due to his mother’s wishes and criticizes himself for being nothing. His love of his life, Bela, also gets engaged to another person, and just when he is facing real darkness, Munjya enters the story to make his life more miserable. In the climax, when the grandmother’s soul tries to inspire the protagonist by saying, “Fear can become more fearful if you stop protesting against it,” the film delivers its core message.