Nayyi Navelli movie review: Yami Gautam starrer has highs, lows, and an overstretched climax

The flight of fancy scales unimaginable heights with this one. In director Balaji Mohan’s supernatural-meets-mythology comedy caper Nayyi Navelli, Yami Gautam plays a mysterious woman with special powers. On the onset, the film appears to mix comedy and horror- a template well established by the Stree franchise. But the film’s punchlines and wit soon segue into mythology. No harm there either, considering the film is one of the big Dussehra releases this year in India. However, the film quickly spirals thanks to a convoluted plot that infuses too many things into one story, making the second half extremely tedious to watch.

The story of Ramayan has been a source of inspiration for filmmakers for decades. The entire concept of good vs evil is a theme that never goes out of fashion and can be interpreted in multiple ways. Nayyi Naveli, to its credit, takes a lesser-known part of the Ramayana and spins an intricate tale. It may not always make sense, but it still makes for an interesting plot.

What’s the story of Nayyi Navelli?

New bride Mohini (Yami Gautam) brings a sense of sanity to an otherwise dysfunctional Awasthi family as she marries the elder son, Raja (Adinath Kothare). Mohini is more qualified than her husband and even earns more. Naturally, she is loved by the entire family except Raja’s younger brother Bantu (Anurag Thakur), who is suspicious of her every move and is convinced that she is a daayan (witch) with ill intentions.

As Bantu goes the extra mile to convince his family about Mohini, the members dismiss him and his claims, blinded by her charm.

Is Mohini really evil as Bantu claims, or is she genuinely trying to help the family without any ulterior motive, forms the rest of the story.

What works and what does not

Actor Anurag Thakur first caught everyone’s attention in the Netflix drama Black Warrant. While the actor has featured in other series and films since then, it is his portrayal as Bantu in Nayyi Navelli that will stay with viewers for years to come. The man alone steers the first half and does the comedic heavy lifting for the greater part of the story.

The film’s leading lady, Yami Gautam, has had a good run at the box office and even earned critical praise (and a National Award) with her last few films. Yami has a knack for picking the right films, mostly. Nayyi Navelli falls in the grey area. The film may have looked promising on paper, but at the execution level, it falters too much.

Written by Himanshu Sharma and Divy Nidhi Sharma, the film’s screenplay is so convoluted and messy that it is hard to keep up with the pace after a point. The religious messaging, during the festival period, seems timely, with the plot involving Ram and Ravan. Yet, inconsistency in its screenplay completely spoils the second half.

It's been a while since I enjoyed watching the first half of a film thoroughly and found the second half deeply frustrating. Nayyi Navelli sets the tone well, with witty punchlines and credible performances from actors including leading man Adinath Kothare, Thakur, Susmita Mukherjee, Sumita Jha, Mita Vashisht and Gautam. The mood is light and fun, with mythology seamlessly woven into the tale. But most of the plot is over by the time of the interval. In the second half, the film nosedives completely, with timelines of Dussehra and Diwali botched up, a zombie walk thrown in, and too many unforgettable songs delaying the conclusion.

The climax is a long ordeal, with the action sequences and VFX looking amateurish.

Gautam is a fine performer, but how much can she take on when the story itself is not written well?

Final Verdict

Nayyi Navelli sets out on a funny note. Somewhere in the middle, it goes off track, only to give out its biggest twist during the interval. The second half feels like an afterthought, as if the writers had a one-page idea note which they now had to expand into a full-length film.

Go for the laughs but forget the timelines, ignore the unnecessary songs and be patient during the stretched climax. That’s perhaps the best way to enjoy Nayyi Navelli.