Tag: Sharvari Wagh

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Munjya: A worthy addition to Maddock horror universe

Munjya movie banner

Director Aditya Sarpotdar does a fine job in weaving a social message like the previous Maddock productions, Stree films and Bhediya. Here it is about consent in love.

Munjya streaming on Disney+ Hotstar is set in the backdrop of a Konkan folklore, year 1952. A young Brahmin boy Gotya is adamant on marrying a girl named Munni. He mistakes obsession for love, Munni’s marriage is fixed to another man leaving Gotya enraged. He makes an unsuccessful attempt to poison Munni’s fiancé in a fit of anger. The mother scolds him but Gotya is no mood to pay heed. He resorts to black magic in order to win Munni’s heart, this includes an attempt to sacrifice the life of his sister Gita (Khushi Hajare plays the young version). However, this only leads to self-destruction. Gotya turns into a restless spirit Munjya haunting the tree; he had died within 10 days of thread ceremony. Fast forward to the present Gotya aka Munjya latches on to the family’s descendent Bittu (Abhay Verma), using him as a facilitator to fulfil the wishes of marrying Munni. In a strange turn of events Munjya becomes bestowed with Bittu’s love Bela (Sharvari Wagh). Bela considers Bittu her best friend, she is already in relationship with an English man Cuba (Richard Lovatt) but isn’t very sure on marrying him. Bela has major career aspirations regarding Zumba dance. Bittu deeply loves Bela, but he doesn’t confess. This is the story in brief.

Munjya latches on to his family descendent Bittu (Abhay Verma)

A strong aspect of Munjya is the characterization of Bittu. Bittu starts off as an underconfident guy, he hardly comes across a hero who would defeat the wicked Munjya but as the movie progresses, we seem him gradually overcoming inner fears. Bittu desires to be a hairdresser adding an interesting layer. Additionally, Bittu respects Bella’s professional aspirations and never makes a move on Bela in spite of their close proximity.

There is a scene in the pre- climax where Bittu finally reveals his feelings. Bella replies that too much is going on in her life and she has no intentions of getting into a committed relationship at this point. Bittu replies that it is fine adding that he is not a Munjya who is going to make her life hell. The stark difference in behaviors in spite of the same lineage is the essence of this Aditya Sarpotdar’s directorial.

Bittu’s imagination

Munjya also benefits from the strong characterizations of Mona Singh and Suhas Joshi playing the mother and grandmother respectively. Mona Singh plays a fiery single mother never backing down from taking a stand for herself and the son. Suhas Joshi on the other hand is the sweet and adorable grandmother. She is an important source of motivation for Bittu in the battle with Munjya. Both the women are a delight to watch. Sharvari Wagh as Bella is also good particularly in the scenes where Munjya enters her body. She has a bubbly presence that goes with the role. Her dance moves in the end credit song Taras are quite fluid and she looks hot as well.

Sharvari Wagh in Taras

Bahubali actor S Sathyaraj plays a baba known for getting rid of spirits thankfully the characterization doesn’t follow the usual intense route. There is an absurdity to the character which Sathyaraj pulls off well. As Bittu Abhay Varma does a fine job in bringing out both the fearful nature and also the eventual transformation. His chemistry with the CGI generated Munjya has a good mix of scares and funny moments.

Satyaraj in Munjya

Special mention must be also made of the cinematography department. Saurabh Goswami does an excellent job of capturing the dread amidst the lush greenery. The VFX artists have also done a fine job in creating a scary villain however it has to be said that Munjya’s thick voice does get irritating at some points. Also, the styling of both Munjya and Bittu has a Harry Potter hangover which the movie could have done away with. The film pretty much follows the standard template of a horror movie and there is nothing unpredictable particularly for those who have grown on this genre. But all said and done Munjya is a worthy addition to this growing horror universe.

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Vedaa: A flawed yet a gritty social drama that touches upon caste-based violence and discrimination

In spite of a bloated second half director Nikhil Advani delivers a hard-hitting tale based on real events. Sharvari Wagh has delivered her career best performance.

  • Starcast: Sharvari Wagh, John Abraham, Abhishek Banerjee, Ashish Vidyarthi and others special appearances (Tammanna Bhatia and Mouni Roy)
  • Director: Nikhil Advani
  • Writer: Assem Arora
  • Producers: John Abraham, Monisha Advani and others
  • Production Companies: Zee Studios, Emmay Entertainment and JA Entertainment
  • Music: Ammal Malik and Manan Bhardwaj
  • Cinematography: Malay Prakash
  • Running time: 2 hours and 36 minutes

Nikhil Advani has had a very interesting filmography starting from the romantic dramas Kal Ho Na Ho and Salaam e Ishq. He shifted gears successfully with the film D-Day a well-made action thriller. Nikhil further proved his versatility on OTT with the two seasons of Mumbai Diaries. Of course, the director has also fallen flat on his face with certain movies but there is no denying that Nikhil is a fascinating filmmaker. His latest directorial is based on some real-life incidents dwelling into the oppression of lower caste. Vedaa alternates between a social drama and a high-octane action thriller with dollops of blood. This mix doesn’t always work particularly the long-drawn climax however there is no denying that Nikhil Advani makes an important statement.

Vedaa alternates between a social drama and a high-octane action thriller

The story of Vedaa deals with an ambitious Dalit girl played by Sharvari Wagh. Vedaa aspires to be a boxer breaking the boundary of social stigma. However, that is easier said than done given her family background and the upper caste bigots. Abhishek Banerjee in his second release of the week plays an unhinged antagonist who firmly believes that one cannot toy with the firmly established caste system. The actor is simply phenomenal which I will elaborate on later. John Abaraham on the other hand is a typical hot headed solider who faces court martial for his rebellious streak. His character Abhimanyu comes to the village of Sharvari, his father-in-law stays here. Abhimanyu tries to lead a normal civilian life but an honor killing incident changes everything. Vedaa’s brother falls in love with an upper caste girl, she also reciprocates but expectedly there is no happy ending. Abhimanyu becomes the guiding force of Vedaa echoing Mahabharata.

Sharvari Wagh’s Vedaa aspires to be a boxer breaking free from social stigma

A strong aspect of Vedaa is how Nikhil Advani has showcased the humiliation that Dalits go through. Even after so many years of independence the social and economic conditions of Dalits leave a lot to be desired. There are some hugely disturbing scenes like the one where Vedaa is assaulted by upper caste hooligans, but she is not a position to fight back. There is also a scene where lower caste men rub their noses on the ground. Of course, the treatment is more in your in your face unlike Article 15 that was more nuanced but still these moments leave a strong impact.

Vedaa also benefits from the strong characterization of the central role. Sharvari Wagh starts off as a timid girl but gradually the character grows in confidence becoming a strong rebel. A scene which deserves a particular mention is Vedaa’s confrontation scene with the younger brother of Abhishek Banerjee’s character. A very violent fight ensues with Vedaa taking out all of her pent-up frustration. Sharvari proves to be a worthy action heroine, on a side note cannot wait to see her kick some serious ass with Alia Bhatt in Alpha.

Abhishek Banerjee proves himself as a supremely talented artist with his portrayal of Jitender Pratap Singh. The actor does a wonderful job in portraying an intimidating villain. He gives John Abaraham more than a tough fight in the hand-to-hand combat sequences. It is hard to believe that this is the same man who played the role of Jana in Stree 2. He is that good.

Abhishek Banerjee proves himself to be a supremely talented artist

The second half of Vedaa has numerous car chases and action sequences. These sequences offer a thrilling ride for the viewers. There is constant tension about how Vedaa is going to emerge victorious from all this. However, it has to be said that the fights become too elongated as well and the climax in particular becomes a never-ending saga. John Abraham’s Abhimanyu Kanwar is pumped with numerous bullets but still he stands up. The gritty texture of the first half is in complete odds with these scenes. Similarly, Abhishek Banerjee is seen walking normally even after being shot in the stomach.

Talking about John Abraham the actors hulk like presence goes completely with the role. Abhimanyu is a man of few words letting his fists doing the talk. However, John’s performance feels like a letdown in comparison to his character of Jim in Pathaan.

Vedaa’s music also leaves something to be desired. The only song that makes an impression is Arjit Singh’s ‘Zaroorat Se Zyada’. Malay Prakash’s cinematography coupled with Manoj Sikka’s sound design deserves a major appreciation. The hinterland of Rajasthan has a lived-in feel.

Vedaa in spite of some flaws is thought provoking making the viewers root for the titular character.