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Star Cast: Yami Gautam, Addinath Kothare, Anurag Thakur, and a great ensemble!
Director: Balaji Mohan
What’s Good: Yami Gautam leads a really good family entertainer
What’s Bad: Too much reliance on the mythological segments
Loo Break: Strictly in the interval unless you want to miss the dots and keep figuring out the puzzle!
Watch or Not?: Absolutely Yes. It is a delight. Take your entire family – bacche, boodhe, jawan – go all!
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 2 hours and 18 minutes
User Rating:
“Bete mein khot dekhna, mushkil hota hai aur bahu mein daayan dekhna aasaan,” tells Mohini, a nayi naveli bahu of a middle-class joint family in Meerut, to her mother-in-law, while she is being accused of being a Daayan by her brother-in-law! And this is a moment; this film entirely grabs your attention and holds you enough to be seated till the end and enjoy a ride that is fun, laughter, and everything in between!
Let me ask you first. When was the last time you sat together with your family and had a heartfelt laugh? Enjoying snacks, teasing each other, and watching a film that caters to every age group! I do not remember it for a long time! But Yami Gautam brilliantly fills this gap with Nayyi Navelli, and I will be surprised if you do not like this film! I will genuinely doubt my film-analyzing skills, for that matter, because this one, directed by Balaji Mohan, delivers the three most important elements of film – entertainment, entertainment, and entertainment!
So, as the trailer promised, this film led by Yami Gautam and Addinath Kothare is a wholesome ride. Some might argue and call it predictable, but honestly, what is there to predict in a story that is based on good vs. evil or Ram VS Ravana. You know the good is going to win; you know if it is a fantasy rooted in mythology, Shri Ram Aayenge! It is just the ride that will make you enjoy. You enjoy the process of reaching that climax, and this film makes sure that you enjoy!
Nayyi Navelli Movie Review: Script Analysis
The film is set in Meerut, where Mohini (Yami Gautam) falls in love with Raja Awasthi (Addinath Kothare) and wants to get married to him despite his being in a top position in his firm. She has no family and takes her rishta to Raja’s family herself. And all of this turns into evidence for the claim that she is a Daayan when her brother-in-law, Bantu Awasthi (Anurag Thakur), catches her performing a pooja in a secluded forest!
The problem is the entire Awasthi family is smitten by Mohini’s charm and believes Bantu. Is she a Daayan? Where is her family? Why did she marry Raja – all of these questions form the premise of a very entertaining folklore fantasy rooted deeply in mythology and Ram – Ravana’s ancestors. I’ll keep the rest of the plot under wraps, because the film’s biggest joy is in watching it go to places you didn’t see coming.
The writing team of Himanshu Sharma and Divy Nidhi Sharma has built the film on a very smart premise: take the most familiar thing in any Indian household, the new daughter-in-law and the family’s scrutiny of her, and let folklore turn the volume up. It’s a hook everyone understands, whether you’re a grandmother or a ten-year-old. However, the film shifts its gear very swiftly towards mythology and fantasy, and that is where it earns its entertainment, because the humor never stops being rooted in the family, even when things get supernatural.
The dialogues with the subtle messages looked like reading a Panchtantra tale to a child with the moral at the end. One of the dialogues says, “Ram Bharatvarsha ka beta hai. Is Desh mein jab bhi mujhe hridaya se yaad karoge, main yug laangh ke aaunga!” And in the theater I heard a child scream Bhagwaan ji aa gaye hai! You know a film wins when it can get kids excited! They are the biggest group of storytellers and listeners! Who better than them to judge a story then?
Nayyi Navelli Movie Review: Star Performance
This is Yami in a completely different avatar. She’s best known for serious roles like A Thursday, Lost, and Article 370, which won her a National Award, so seeing her in a fantasy comedy is a treat in itself. She plays Mohini with the warmth and mischief the part demands, and she balances the mythology part with equal grace! One moment she is moonwalking, and the other moment you see her having the energy of Bajrang Bali. It looks like she’s having a blast, and that energy is infectious. This is a performance that shows range without trying too hard.
Addinath M Kothare has a strong presence in the cast, and his chemistry with Yami is a big part of the film’s warmth. His role in the family drama anchors the film’s emotional side in places, and the screen time he shares with Yami brings a very comfortable energy on screen!
The ensemble – Sunita Rajwar, Mita Vasisth, Anurag Thakur, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Susmita Mukherjee, Prateek Pachori, and others- forms a brilliant support as the Awasthi family! It feels like a real home, and all of them look like a family. Sunita Rajwar and Mita Vasisth in particular are the kind of performers who can turn anything into a laugh. The female characters of the film have a lot of spice and agency.
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Nayyi Navelli Movie Review: Direction, Music
Balaji Mohan uses his South-style, high-energy sensibility in a very North Indian setting, and the mix is refreshing. He keeps the film at a brisk pace. It starts from the first scene, and there is no filler, no relief moments. The tonal shifts between humor, mystery, and action are handled smoothly. The songs are a big part of the film experience, and Nayyi Navelli lacks on that front!. The music does not fit the film’s mood and festive vibe!
A minor issue with Nayyi Navelli is that it might be confused as a horror comedy, which it is not! But there will be comparisons! Moreover, once the film shifts to the mythological setup, it never returns to the family setup, and that is where it falls short! Probably, I would have loved to see the family getting involved more rather than entirely depending on the daayan bahu! But ironically, this is so true in every household!
Nayyi Navelli Movie Review: The Last Word
Festivals bring families together, and a film that the whole family can watch together is a rare thing. Nayyi Navelli has something for the kids who’ll love the zombies and the Gods, for the parents who’ll enjoy the family banter, and for the grandparents who’ll enjoy the devotional pull and the message! It’s light, it’s colorful, and it doesn’t ask you to think too hard. With Dussehra around the corner, it’s perfectly timed to be your family’s outing of the season.
Nayyi Navelli wants nothing more than to entertain you, and it does so with a smile. Go, laugh, and enjoy it together. It is completely Paisa Vasool!
4 stars!
Nayyi Navelli Trailer
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