Nayyi Navelli ( Comedy, Supernatural Fantasy/ 2026/ In Cinemas )
Writer – Himanshu Sharma , Divy Nidhi Sharma
Director- Balaji Mohan
Cast – Yami Gautam, Anurag Thakur, Adinath Kothare, Sushmita Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht, Sunita Rajwar
Himanshu Sharma has been a core collaborator with Aanand L Rai, having written all his films so far, including good ones like Tanu Weds Manu, its sequel, Raanjhana and well …some others like Zero, Atrangi Re, Tere Ishq Mein, Rakshabandhan etc.So I had my expectations strictly under surveillance. Also, when it is a south based director, I issue extra caveats to myself.
But as my good luck would have it ,I thoroughly loved and enjoyed the film.Please be level-headed and don’t dream about perfection. I don’t think that mythical entity is ever coming back to Bollywood.
The film has an absolutely fresh story and treatment. It might be touted as horror comedy, but I would rather call it Comedy Supernatural Fantasy that mixes mythology and moral message to deliver an over all entertaining film.
A newly wed bride, Mohini ( Yami), waltzes in the life of a simple man Raja( Kothare), bringing about miraculous changes in the life of his marital family .
True to her name, she’s beautiful ,enchanting and too good to be true. Her brother in law Bantu( Anurag Thakur) accuses her of being a Dayan and he has solid reasons to believe so.
The first half is pretty funny and had me chuckling through out. The credit goes to the amazing ensemble cast ( casting by none other than Mukesh Chhabra) and the dialogues with bang on accents. The situations, the dialogues , the expressions , nothing takes itself too seriously and that’s the fun. The intermission point was damn unexpected and left me intrigued as to what comes next.
Mild spoiler ahead ..
The second half surprises by talking a lore-ish detour. That element of surprise could be an advantage, provided the audience likes the route the film takes in second half. The climax leans in heavily towards mythology and fantasy.
Spoiler ends.
Yami’s beauty brings in the mythic touch required.
Anurag Thakur is a revelation. He deserves applaud for carrying the comedy quotient .He is practically the lead besides Yami.
As for the shortcomings, there was a certain sequence which was the weakest part of the film. It could ,instead, have been used to bring in some element of horror or tension. Songs were pretty mediocre. The VFX could have been better but then I don’t think the film was trying to be a Bahubali or Avengers.
I liked the way the film emphasises on family values. It’s not your Sooraj Barjatya genre of values but a pretty contemporary one and in lighter vein too. The devotional tilt might not sit well with many but I liked that aspect too.After all, with Dussehra round the corner, what better than a Ramayan themed lore to convey the message of good over evil.
There are certain pretty mixed reviews pouring in. I loved it. And would definitely recommend it. I came back entertained and happy. Heard many claps and cheers in the audience. The family crowd was clearly loving it. You’ll have to decide for yourself based on what kind of stuff you like.
