Munjya, the new horror comedy in theaters, is all about the Konkan folklore stories that have finally been given full screen treatment. Taking inspiration from Kantara and Tumbbad, Munjya was all about a demonic creature that drags a young boy through the town in search of the woman he wanted to marry many years ago. Several characters understand what the lead is going through and try to help him, while many others don’t. Here is the list of characters that make the film hilarious from start to finish.
Spoilers Ahead
Munjya
Munjya, the titular character, could also be deemed a demonic creature or a poltergeist who is hell bent on seeking what he has loved for many years. Munjya used to be a young boy named Gotya, who was forced to become a pandit after he declared his love for a woman who was several years older than him. Gotya was a young school-going kid who had no patience for anything but the only object of desire he ever cared for, Munni, his neighbor. He faced death in the pursuit of seeking love through the means of black magic.Â
Though many thought this would be the end of it, the village elders had more to say. As per folklore, if a young boy dies within ten days of the ceremony of becoming a pandit, he turns into a demonic creature known as Munjya, who goes after the woman he loves. In the present day, Munjya was restricted to the tree under which he had died. Chintuk Wadi is the place where he died, and many from the town refrained from going to that part of the island.Â
Years later, he managed to get his hands on Bittu, the grandson of his sister. He decides to go after him with the sole purpose of tracking down Munni. The demon is destructive, and he does not hide it. The surprising part of the movie has to be when Bittu learns that Munjya does not want Munni anymore and is after another woman that has caught his attention, leaving Bittu hell bent on saving the girl who happens to be the love of his life.
Bittu
Abhay Verma, as Bittu, is a lead protagonist who is the opposite of what Munjya is. Munya is selfish, while Bittu is a concerned young man who lives with his mother and grandmother. He is close to both, and as a result, the relationship is healthy and loving. The young man is also not a confrontational type like his mother, and he chooses to shy away from expressing his feelings. The love of his life is Bela, who is older than him and a very good friend. Amidst all of this, the visions of a tree and a shrill voice make an appearance on a regular basis, which have begun to bother him. It is facing the demonic creature in person that changes his life. He loses the one person he is closest to due to the new creature in his vicinity, Munjya. Bittu has to do something to make sure another person he truly loves does not end up a victim of Munjya again. Munjya is after Bela, and Bittu is making sure the woman he truly loves is not harmed in the process.Â
Father Elvis Karim Prabhakar
Tamil veteran actor Sathyaraj as Father Elvis Prabhakar is the man with all the solutions for Bittu’s problems. Bittu has given up at this point on how to deal with Munjya, who has terrorized his life. Father Elvis Karim Prabhakar, who proclaims himself to be secular, comes as a blessing in disguise thanks to Spielberg. Father Elvis, who conducts exorcism, is suddenly interested in helping Bittu get rid of the demonic creature after claiming he has done his research on it. He plans to help the young kids as this is his area of expertise and so he starts on the journey to the Konkan region which is Bittu’s hometown.
Bela
Sharvari, also known as Bela, is a young woman who is slightly older than Bittu. Even though the young man is head over heels in love with her, Bela is in a relationship with a foreigner and he wants to marry her, but she is clear about her career goals, seeking to become a Zumba instructor. Bela, however, is unaware of the love Bittu harbors for her, as he never expressed it. Bela is a helpful person who goes out of her way to make sure Bittu is safe and sound, and she is a true friend to him. Unbeknownst to her, Munjya is after her because she bears a resemblance to the woman he loved once, and he cannot seem to let go of her until she is killed in a ritualistic ceremony, the likes of which he tried to do many years ago. Bela, however, is kept out of the loop for obvious reasons. She somehow gets embroiled in what Bittu wants to do to make sure Munjya is killed once and for all.
Pammi
Mona Singh, also known as Pammi, is one of the two maternal figures in Bittu’s life who have shaped him as a person. Pammi is a Punjabi married to a Maharashtrian man, who is Bittu’s father. Pammi comes across as a feisty woman who picked up her life quickly after her husband passed away mysteriously. She made sure Bittu was kept away from his uncle and his father’s ancestral town, but fate had other plans. Pammi, knowing the situation in the family, chose to always stay by her son instead of blaming him for things going wrong. Pammi is a strong figure who inspires him to study beauty-related courses, as Bittu is planning to go abroad to study all things related to hair styling. Pammi is a strong figure that Bittu needs, as he himself is considered meek.Â
Aaji
Suhasini Joshi as Aaji (the term for grandmother in Marathi) is the core of the movie. It is the history of the family that connects Bittu to Munjya. As a sister to Gotya, she made sure to keep him at bay. For years, Aaji managed to keep a lot of family history hidden from her children. She moved to Pune to stay away from Chintuk Wadi after it was indirectly responsible for the death of her older brother, Bittu’s father. Aaji goes out of her way to help her grandson, who is trapped by Munjya after many years. The only question remains: will she live long enough to help Bittu further, or will the grandson have to find his way out?
Spielberg and Rukku
Taranjot Singh as Spielberg and Bhagyashree Limaye as Rukku are the cousins of Bittu from his mother’s and father’s sides, respectively. The writer and director did not reveal the real names of these characters so it could emphasize on the childlike story of the cousins’ who are seeking answers in regards to the demon that has become a nuisance for the family. Spielberg and Rukku are close to Bittu, and they go out of their way to find answers regarding the powers of Munjya. Both refuse to back away, especially Rukku, because she has heard of this demonic creature restricted to the forest near their home. Since they are aware of Bittu’s love for Bela, it only made sense for them to help Bittu get together with her.Â