Aanand L Rai praises Yami Gautam ahead of Nayyi Navelli: 'Felt like there was so much I could learn from her'

There is a distinctive charm to an Aanand L Rai film, and with Nayyi Navelli, Rai backs yet another unconventional story with a difference, this time bringing a bigger canvas, larger-than-life characters and an extra dose of entertainment to the big screen. The highly anticipated film from Amazon MGM Studios and Colour Yellow brings together family, fantasy, action, humour and plenty of masala, promising an unabashed big-screen family entertainer designed for audiences to experience together. Set against the backdrop of a madcap family and an extraordinary turn of events, this Yami Gautam starrer blends the warmth of family dynamics with fantasy, mystery, action and unexpected twists, creating a larger-than-life theatrical experience for audiences across age groups.

Speaking about the strong female characters in Nayyi Navelli and the real-life influences that shaped them, Aanand L Rai shared, “Many of the characters we have created are inspired by the people we have seen around us. If I speak about my mother, my wife, or Himanshu’s mother, we have all grown up seeing strong women within our families. These are the personalities who have held us together, given us strength, and shaped who we are. That influence has always stayed with us, and it is reflected in this film as well.”

He further added, “I was telling Yami that, ‘You’re such a good student and such a fighter, I feel like there’s so much I can learn from you.’ So, these are not characters that we have simply created from our imagination. They are inspired by the women we see around us, the women whose strength and individuality we experience every day. This film is, in many ways, a thank you to all the women around us.”

Headlined by Yami Gautam Dhar in a never-before-seen avatar, Nayyi Navelli brings to life India’s very own fantasy family-entertainer, packed with masti, mystery, action and all-out masala entertainment.

Arriving in cinemas across India on 16th October, ahead of Dussehra, the film is geared up to bring fun, fantasy and spectacle to the festive season, offering audiences a quintessential family outing at the movies.

Directed by Balaji Mohan and written by Himanshu Sharma and Divy Nidhi Sharma, the film also stars Addinath M Kothare, Anurag Thakur, Sunita Rajwar, Mita Vasisth, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Susmita Mukherjee, Prateek Pachori, Akshat Singh, Babita Pandey, Ajay Pal and Neeraj Singh in pivotal roles. Produced by Aanand L. Rai and Himanshu Sharma, the film features music by GV Prakash Kumar.