Decoding Munjya's success: How a 'star-less' film turned blockbuster, director speaks

'Munjya' is one of the biggest surprise hits of the year. The film released on June 7 and has entered its fourth glorious week at the box office. Directed by Aditya Sarptodkar, it is about to touch the Rs 100 crore benchmark in India despite constantly facing big films at the ticket window. Made on a budget of around Rs 30 crore, it is riding solely on its content value. India Today exclusively spoke to the film's director, Aditya Sarpotdar, to understand more about its success, both commercial and critical.

The fourth film in Maddock's supernatural universe has become the second-highest grossing film after 'Stree'. Aditya called it a sheer testament to the audience's acceptance of 'rooted' stories. "There are two-three major takeaways for us. First, the film is very different. It is not your cliché Bollywood films which have been released in the last few months. It seems fresh and out- of-the-box and doesn't follow any template or a trope. It blends itself with horror-comedy and people have an appetite for such kinds of films. I don't think that, after 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2', any horror comedy has worked in theatres and it's a pretty massive gap. I don't think people also watch everything that is available on OTT," he said.

'Munjya' director Aditya Sarpotdar on the film's success (Photo: Munjya team)

'Munjya' has no formula

'Munjya' is based on an Indian legend, a Konkan folklore which explores the myth of 'munjya' - an adolescent boy's spirit wanting to fulfil incomplete desires. Aditya said the film's story is its biggest USP because it resonates with the audience's current emotions. The director said he has been mindful of not adding any 'formula' to the narrative and the result is for all to see. "One thing that has really worked in our favour is that we have stayed true to the narrative and the story by not diluting it with trade logic like 'you need to have a star or a known face', 'you need to have an x number of songs' or that 'you need to have a very popular narrative rather than a regional one'. Our language is local, our characters are very local, our casting is also local, and our story is very rooted. So, all of that is pretty unconventional and not your quintessential 'industry-like'," he added.

In a way, then, 'Munjya' has shattered many Bollywood stereotypes. It doesn't boast a spectacularly grand starcast, nor does it demand attention via any tempting dance number. At the heart of it, it is a local story with a simple actors - Sharvari Wagh, Mona Singh and Abhay Verma leading the game with exceptional performances. "It seems like we have broken many Bollywood stereotypes. What else could be the reason behind the film working so well despite the other releases? We are not a big-budgeted spectacle. Why is it that we have crossed Rs 100 crore at the box office?" Aditya said.

Sharvari Wagh and Abhay Verma with 'Munjya' director (Photo: Munjya team)

How 'Munjya' takes the audience back home

Another aspect that has worked majorly in favour of 'Munjya' is how it allows the audience to go back home. This is Aditya's first out-and-out hit film, and he said he could gauge the audience's exact feeling with this one. For him, 'Munjya' bridges the gap between global experiences and the longing for native stories. The director explained the idea: "The audience has become global. They are consuming products and experiences from different parts of the world. They watch K-dramas, K-pop, British and American shows, and everything else which is available to them. We have become global in both our choices, outlook and reach. What is it that we are now going towards and hoping to achieve?"

He went on: "In the '80s and the '90s, we would want to watch films showing us Switzerland and these foreign places. That was our aspiration. We wanted to go there and live that kind of life. We wanted that larger-than-life experience for ourselves. Today, we have people living those lives. The audience can access all these places. They are going abroad and living that life. What is the aspiration now then? It is to go back to the roots. I meet so many people who work, and they are always excited to talk about their hometowns, to get back to their hometowns. They want to see their culture and pass that on to the next generation. They miss that, and they want that representation in cinema."

A still from the movie 'Munjya' (Photo: YouTube/ Maddock)

How 'Munjya' stood through a big film like 'Chandu Champion' at the box office

A week after 'Munjya' was released in theatres, 'Chandu Champion', a far bigger film, boasting a stellar hero and a stupendous director, hit the screens. While the number of screens was shared, the presence of this film hardly impacted Munjya's run. The director highlighted the same and revealed why he could see a shift in the audience's choice, and the importance of a good trailer.

He explained, "I see a shift. It's not the scale of the promotions that people are going for. People make up their minds after watching the trailer. We got an opening on par with 'Chandu Champion'. We got a weekend bigger than 'Chandu Champion'. What led to this? I think people decided to watch the film the day the trailer came out. Something in the trailer and the poster worked for them. Scale, volume, spending - all of it is great if it's a big film. But, all of it has to be backed by a great trailer for the film to work. If it doesn't have the support of a strong trailer, people do not watch the film."

Munjya + Bhediya + Stree

After 25 days of its run, 'Munjya' is running at Rs 95.14 crore nett in India. It is expected to weather the 'Kalki 2898 AD' storm to enter the Rs 100 crore club. But, what about having crossovers between 'Stree', 'Munjya' and 'Bhediya'? Aditya confirmed the exciting crossovers happening in the future and revealed that the audience has already seen 'Stree 2' in 'Munjya' and they will now get to see a bit of 'Munjya' in 'Bhediya 2' as well. "We have left the film open-ended. We have shown that Munjya is there and if there's a need for him to come back, he will come back. So, all that is leading to the possibility of a sequel which, in due time, we will work towards. There is definitely a plan for a cross-over. The end-credits scene in 'Bhediya' shows a bit of 'Munjya' and in the 'Munjya' sequel, you might see 'Stree'. All these films are being made to have interesting crossovers. There's this plan that, slowly and steadily, we will bring all these films together and in that progression of how things will pan out, I am sure as more films in this universe release, you will see this crossover happening a lot more," he concluded.

'Munjya' might have been declared a blockbuster at the box office with all kinds of money that it made for the producers, but its real win lies in how it appealed to the family audience. It's a clean film and has especially attracted kids to theatres. 'Munjya' is a breather in the era of mass action entertainers with heavy CGI work. It's what the heartland cinema represents and should stand for.