‘Nayyi Navelli’ movie review: Yami Gautam’s genre-neutral offering is high on decibels, low on charms

Nothing can prepare you for Yami Gautam’s Nayyi Navelli. The film begins as a typical small-town comedy. It then shows patchy horror elements before turning into a devotional, mythological extravaganza, trying to cash in on recent trends. However, it never quite comes of age in any genre it touches. Yami portrays a self-righteous warrior woman who twists the past to construct a new narrative. No, I am not talking about Article 370, which etched a problematic alternate reality into Kashmir’s recent history. In Nayyi Navelli, mythology becomes history. It talks of Treta Yuga, of Rama, Ravana, and Hanuman with hyper-enthusiastic flourishes, even as it remains forever confused amid the grandeur, acting often like an overdramatic TV soap when its identity drifts.

The cracks are evident from the get-go as the movie begins abruptly during a wedding. Mohini (Yami) is suspected to be a daayan by her good-for-nothing brother-in-law, Bantu, played harmoniously by Anurag Thakur, who offers a comic touch with his earthy accent and lively presence in some of these dull early sequences. Bantu tells his brother, Raja Awasthi (Addinath Kothare), and the family about Mohini’s strange behavior. It is then revealed how she fell for Raja and got married.

Mohini is a perfect woman who knows how to say the right things at the right times. That’s what impresses everyone in the family, who are shocked to learn that a woman of her stature and beauty has fallen for someone like Raja. But Bantu’s observations create doubt in their minds as Navvi Navelli reaches the interval with a twist, turning it into a reckless good-vs-evil battle. A stark feminist tale is hidden beneath the story, which gets completely overshadowed as the film chooses a mythological route in the second half.

Divy Nidhi Sharma’s screenplay is exhaustive. It takes a giant leap and falls back harder, with no room for thoughtful resonance. Even though the family banter is fun, with each member more eccentric than the other, the shift in focus only leads to unresolvable chaos. Director Balaji Mohan treats these narrative leaps with an exaggerated approach, showing Yami Gautam awkwardly flying and drifting away in speed in generic action sequences. The visual cues are outdated, as evil characters suddenly develop deadly fangs and start roaring in full volume. Zombies appear briefly, confusing you before you have time to be scared.

Amid the ensuing chaos, G.V. Prakash Kumar’s music and background score strive to inject excitement, but the relentless volume ultimately leaves behind a deafening aftertaste. Besides Thakur’s extraordinary second-lead turn, there’s little to care for in the performances too, as Yami turns into a spectacle without resolve. She remains earnest in the conversational scenes, but the lackadaisical handling of action doesn’t quite suit her sensibilities.

It is a surprising turn for the actor, who has shown the power of her restrained vulnerabilities in Haq and Article 370 in the last two years. She seems well-suited for the mildly subversive traits of her role of a magical woman, who stands firm to save her family. But the film’s ambitions and insecurities dent her performance as the third act spills her into a mantra-chanting spree. Hereon, no religious imagery is left untouched as Mohini battles the neo-Ravana with Shiva’s trident, Hanuman’s mace and Rama’s bow, all in a bid to bring the film back on track. Invoking the gods can’t save a film that’s forever lost in its own world. At best, Nayyi Navelli becomes a lazy crash course on the Ramayana no one asked for.

Nayyi Navelli is currently running in theatres