Munjya is building anticipation in Bollywood enthusiasts and folklore aficionados alike

As the big screen is all set to release yet another movie in a lesser-touched genre, Munjya is building anticipation in Bollywood enthusiasts and folklore aficionados alike.

With echoes of recent successes like Bramayugam (2024), Kantara (2022), Kumari (2022), and the hauntingly evocative Tumbbad from 2018; based on folklore, and Stree (2018) based on the Nale Ba incident, Munjya might just be the next movie exploring the scantily explored territory of horror comedies blending it with folklore and infusing it with a not-so-subtle social conscience.

Set in Konkan, a land known for its spirits and demons as much as for its Gods, the film premise promises to be a captivating blend of eerie and humorous, especially for its younger audience this time. The Munjya is a monstrous entity from the Konkani folklore. A man is said to go through 4 stages in his life namely brahmacharya (student life), grihasthashram (household life), vanaprasthashram (renouncing the city life and moving to a forest on the lines of retirement) and sanyaasa (renunciation). Wherein these the upanayana sanskar (thread ceremony) known as Munja in Marathi and in this context, the Konkan region, marks the initiation of a child venturing into his student age. There is another ceremony known as the sod munja which is usually a part of wedding rituals and indicates the end of the student phase and initiation into the household age. If a bachelor, however, dies after his Munja and before his sod Munja, he is considered to become a Munjya. The spirit of a Munjya is said to reside on peepal trees or in the vicinity of a well. Usually known not to kill people but infamous for scaring them, this spirit is definitely mischievous enough to give us that tingling sensation when on screen.

The 2-minute 18-second trailer of Munjya, directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, starring Mona Singh, Abhay Verma, Sharvani and Sathyaraj, provides a sneak peek into Munjyas pursuit of his unrequited love, Munni. Intriguingly, the film stars India's first CGI-generated actor, broadening the scope of our cinema.

The Internet is seen to be buzzing with excitement as the movie prepares itself for the curtain raiser on Friday, June 7. Interestingly, its release on an Amavasya (no moon night) adds to its appeal and scare factor.

Do the makers have another message to give us all after the banger "O stree raksha karna," at the end of Stree (2018) while keeping

the main premise of Munjya that of a love story? Will the movie promise to personify the infamous Marathi proverb

"Bara pimplanvarcha Munjya" (indicating a person so restless who moves from one peepal tree to another just like a Munjya) or fail to meet the audience's expectations? Head to your nearest theatre to find out on June 7, 2024.