"Munjya Review: A Mediocre Mix of Horror, Comedy, and CGI Spookiness"

As someone who isn’t typically a fan of the horror genre, I find it more enjoyable when comedy is added to the mix. The sub-genre includes notable films like "Stree," followed by the moderately humorous "Bhediya." The latest addition to this horror-comedy universe, "Munjya," is undoubtedly the weakest entry. It lacks star power and suffers mainly from a mediocre screenplay and direction, making it an average watch without any particularly scary moments.

"Munjya," a supernatural horror comedy directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, attempts to blend numerous intriguing elements but ultimately falls short. The film starts strong, rooted in Marathi folklore from Maharashtra’s Konkan region, featuring a CGI ghost that fails to be frightening. While the screenplay is filled with generous doses of humor that mostly hit the mark, the film struggles to deliver genuine scares. It leaves one wondering if it was even intended to be scary. For the most part, it’s amusing, and where it isn’t, the loud background music and jump scares try to compensate.

The story begins in 1952 with a young Brahmin boy named Goya who wishes to marry Munni, a girl seven years his senior. Despite his family's disapproval, Goya performs rituals in the jungle but tragically dies in the process and is buried under a tree. Fast forward to present-day Pune, where geeky college student Bittu (Abhay Verma) works at a salon with his mother, Pammi (Mona Singh), and enjoys sweet moments at home with his aaji (Suhas Joshi). Bittu harbors feelings for his childhood friend Bella (Sharvari) but is hesitant to express them because she is dating an Englishman, Kuba. Bittu often experiences nightmares and hears muffled voices from the peepal tree haunted by Munjya. Accompanied by his mother and grandmother, Bittu visits their family in the village, where he uncovers buried secrets about his father and the family's history with a deadly place called Chetuk-Baari, where Munjya’s spirit resides in peepal trees. Bittu’s life is turned upside down when he is ensnared by Munjya, leading to an unexpected yet hilarious unfolding of events.