Munjya: A Look At The Maharashtrian Folklore This Horror Comedy Is Based On

The fourth film of the Maddock Supernatural Universe, Munjya, is creating havoc at the box office. It has collected Rs 22 crore in three days. The film is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and stars Abhay Verma, Mona Singh, Sharvari and S Sathyaraj in the lead roles. The film centres on the legend of Munjya which is inspired by Indian folklore and mythology. The screenplay written by Niren Bhatt, Munjya is a tale from the mysterious and marvellous Konkan coast. The rich visuals only add extravagance and eeriness to a story that has completely been hidden from Bollywood. Munjya is acclaimed as the first CGI film, starring an animated character. Three years of research were conducted by the team of Maddock Film around Munjya to develop the story.

Screenwriter Niren Bhatt who has written films like Bala, Serious Men, and Made in China explains the folklore of Munjya. While talking with a media daily, Niren Bhatt explained that there are four traditional stages of life in Hinduism. Brahmacharya (student life), Gṛhastha (householder life), Vanaprastha (retirement), and Sannyasa (renunciation). He mentions “The Upanayan or thread ceremony is known as Munjya in Marathi, which marks the beginning of the student phase”. Sod Munjya is another ceremony which is usually performed as a part of marriage rituals, signifying the end of the student phase and the beginning of the Grihastha phase.

“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,” said Niren Bhatt. This is one of the reasons which is popularly believed for the increased amounts of carbon dioxide after nightfall. Many people avoid sitting under peepal trees after sunset.

According to Niren 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 fulfil its desires, often fixating on marriage. Munjyas have a peculiar fondness for throwing stones at individuals standing beneath trees. They are mischievous and harmless when compared with other spirits in the world.

The music of the film is composed by the duo Sachin-Jigar.