Nayyi Navelli Movie Review: Trailer Was Fantastic? But Film Fails to Leave an Impact!
Nayyi Navelli Movie Review and Ratings
Cast: Yami Gautam, Addinath Kothare, Anurag Thakur, Mita Vashishth, Sonal Jha, Sunita Rajwar, Sushmita Mukherjee, Aaditya Kulshresth, Suneel Sinha
Director: Balaji Mohan
Where to Watch: In Theaters
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 2.5/5 (two and a half stars)
When the trailer for Yami Gautam’s film Nayyi Navelli was released, it seemed that the audience would get to see another fun horror-comedy like ‘Stree’ and ‘Munjya’. On top of that, the film featured Yami Gautam, who has so far won the trust of the audience with her acting and choice of films. In such a situation, it was natural for the expectations to be a little higher. But alas, all these hopes are dashed after watching the film. There is neither strength in the story nor fear in the name of horror nor suspense. The biggest problem of the film is that it is not understood till the end what the makers want to show to the audience. Because this movie really has all these elements. And that’s what hurts this movie. The way it started can be considered ‘feminine’-coded cinema. Because it talks about gender topics with a touch of horror. But before you can reach any conclusion, this story goes somewhere else.
After that, it becomes such a tasteless khichdi, which is neither swallowed nor digested! In the last few years, Bollywood has created a successful formula of horror-comedy by linking folklore and supernatural powers with today’s times through films like ‘Stree‘, ‘Munjya’ and the recent ‘The Vvaan: Force of the Forest‘ Director Balaji Mohan’s Nayyi Navelli tries to give a new expansion to this formula with mythological references related to the Ramayana and Ravana. The idea is interesting, and the possibilities are also abundant, but starting from the world of witches, in this blurry attempt to match the vast mythological story like the Ramayana, the film deviates from its original concept. As a result, the audience who reaches the cinema with the hope of entertainment finally feels cheated.
Nayyi Navelli Movie Review: The Story Plot
Mohini (Yami Gautam Dhar) enters a family in Meerut, where there are complications in relationships and the atmosphere at home is not very pleasant. Mohini starts winning everyone’s hearts with her wisdom and affection. But brother-in-law Bantu (Anurag Thakur) finds his goodness a bit too mysterious. He suspects that there is some dangerous secret hidden behind his sister-in-law’s simple face—is she a witch?
Here, Pati Raja (Adinath M. The layers attached to the closet (kothare) are revealed, and the matter emerges from the walls of the house and reaches the mythological mysteries. The film tries to connect the story of Treta Yuga with today’s times with references to Ravana, Mandodari, and Lord Rama. The story also contains timeless stones, the king’s beliefs related to the birth constellation, and the dark powers seeking Ravana’s return. That is, it starts with suspicion about the daughter-in-law of the house, but further, the question arises: what is the relationship of this family with the Ramayana period?
Nayyi Navelli Movie Review and Analysis
The first part of director Balaji Mohan’s Nayyi Navelli entertains a lot. A beautiful and mysterious daughter-in-law coming into a strange family and solving her problems, and also creating suspicion of her being a witch, makes the story interesting. The banter between Mohini and her brother-in-law Bantu adds a touch of comedy, while Mita Vashishtha (aunt) and Sushmita Mukherjee (grandmother) also make you laugh a lot. But after the interval, the story goes off track. The horror-comedy of a Meerut family suddenly turns into a war between Ram and Ravana. The film mentions Dussehra after Diwali, features a zombie dance in Ravana’s army instead of demons, and includes incidents like the neutralization of Shiva’s trident and Hanuman’s mace that also feel strange.
The weak screenplay’s original idea succumbs, and Ravana’s monstrous form feels more dramatic than impressive. As a result, the climax disappoints, and the film is reduced to a weak adaptation of the Ramayana. The musical aspect is strong, and songs like Phata Patakha and ‘Bhabhi Tabaahi‘ are entertaining. But the film’s effect could have been better with agile editing and a shorter runtime. The way this story’s chosen to be told is very complicated. A subplot of the Ramayana has been explored in this film. There’s a stone called Kaal Sheel; it takes away the wisdom of whoever it goes to. But how did this stone of Treta Yuga reach Meerut today? What does that stone have to do with the Awasthi family? All this is said to have a ‘historical’ reason. Which doesn’t seem accurate at first. Also, in today’s time, its relevance also comes into question. The third thing is that the movie can’t handle that subject.
Mohini is a woman in Nayyi Navelli who is professionally in a higher position than her husband. Looks good. Openly expresses herself to the whole family. Stands for housewomen. Is a strong, independent woman, superior to her male counterpart. Raja’s family wonders why such a good girl married Raja. He sure has a trick behind it. If this film tried to understand this conflict a little more openly, it probably would turn out to be a far better film than it is now. But the makers chose the safe path. Mythological films are being loved today. Recently, films like Laalo—Krishna Sada Sahaayate, ‘Deool Band’, and ‘Hanuman Ansh’ came out and were liked a lot. So the makers turned the story of Nayyi Navelli in the same direction. Plus, it’s released in Dussehra Week, so a big chunk of the film goes to justify that.
There’s an ending left open. For example, how did Mohini’s character get that superpower? Will the person who is born in Ranav Nakshatra really have the powers of Ravana inside him? But you overlook these things, waiting for a better payoff. But nothing like a payoff appears in this film. It’s enough if this movie ends. Because a lot of fight sequences are repeated to show them from different perspectives. This doesn’t add much to the narrative. But at least a few extra minutes are added to the length of the film.
Yami Gautam, who plays Mohini, is the hero of this film. Many of his slow-mo intro shots are in the film. His parts in the movie have a ton of action sequences too. He’s given his share of everything that the character needed. If the mythical part is removed, Mohini’s a strong character. But its arc is not such that it can be understood or related to. Anurag Thakur played Bantu. He’s got most of the screen time in the film. Because he’s in the role of the narrator inside the film. Whenever the film starts getting a little tense and heavy, Anurag tries to save it with his comedy. Mita Vashishtha has played Pinky. This is very similar to Mallika Sherawat’s character in Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video. No one is bad in the film. But this film is such that no matter how well you perform in it, he can’t help but make the movie better.
The first part of director Balaji Mohan’s film picks up a good pace. There is a great combination of comedy and suspense between the family tussle, Bantu’s suspicion, and Mohini’s mysterious behavior. The film also captures the confidence of women and their respect at home within the story—this is a good aspect of it. The problem begins when the second half becomes more entangled in the world of mythological references and supernatural powers.
The ideas related to Ravana and the Ramayana are interesting, but to integrate them into the current story, the script loosens its grip. The balance of horror-comedy deteriorates, and where fear should be felt, sometimes only the noise of the scene is heard. The king’s monstrous appearance, red eyes, fangs, and green veins are meant to evoke fear, but in some scenes their effect becomes overdramatic. The more unique the concept of the film is, the tighter it would have been in its screenplay; the fun could have been doubled.
GV Prakash Kumar has made his debut as a musician in Hindi cinema with this film. His music resonates with the film’s colorful, angrier world. ‘Phata Patakha’ attracts the most attention, while the rest of the songs are not remembered for a long time after exiting the story. The background score helps create an atmosphere of mystery, although the scenes, which are weakened by the music alone, do not come to life.
Nayyi Navelli Movie Review: The Last Words
Nayyi Navelli’s idea is different, and the Yami-Anurag pair gives many fun moments. But in the second half, mythological complications and a loose script slow the pace of the story. The film can be watched for unique concepts and some spicy scenes; just don’t expect too much from this mystery related to the Ramayana. Nayyi Navelli is not just a horror or fantasy movie but a very clean, entertaining, and culturally connected family movie. Yami Gautam’s powerful and diverse performances, Balaji Mohan’s unique direction, and the co-stars’ brilliant comedy make it a great choice to watch in theaters this week. If you’re looking for a movie with your whole family this weekend that has a laugh, a little mystery, and a unique touch of Indian mythology, this is the one.
