Actress Yami Gautam has described her character Mohini in the upcoming fantasy family entertainer 'Nayyi Navelli' as someone who is 'never quite what you expect' — and says that quality is precisely what drew her to the role in the first place. The film's trailer was unveiled by makers Amazon MGM Studios and Colour Yellow on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, generating early buzz ahead of its theatrical release.

What Yami Said About Mohini

Speaking about the character, Yami said, 'What drew me to Mohini is that she is never quite what you expect. There's a warmth and familiarity to her, but also a mystery that slowly reveals itself.' She added that the film gave her the freedom to traverse a wide emotional range. 'Nayyi Navelli gave me the opportunity to explore a character that moves seamlessly between family, humour, emotion, fantasy and action, while still staying rooted at heart,' she said.

Yami also expressed excitement about the audience's eventual encounter with Mohini. 'I'm really excited for audiences to meet Mohini this Dussehra and discover her for themselves,' she noted, also thanking director Balaji Mohan, producer Aanand L Rai, writer Himanshu Sharma, and the teams at Colour Yellow and Amazon MGM Studios.

The Story and Setting

Set in Meerut, 'Nayyi Navelli' centres on the eccentric Awasthi family and the arrival of their new bahu, Mohini, whose presence slowly gives rise to unsettling questions. What begins as routine wedding rituals quietly shifts into something far harder to explain, positioning the film as a blend of domestic comedy, fantasy, and mystery.

Director Balaji Mohan described the film's appeal as rooted in its balance of the familiar and the unexpected. 'What makes Nayyi Navelli special to me is that it starts with a family that feels instantly relatable, with all the quirks, opinions and madness you'd recognise from any family, and then takes things somewhere completely unexpected that will leave you pleasantly surprised,' he said.

The Team Behind the Film

'Nayyi Navelli' is backed by Aanand L Rai and Himanshu Sharma under the Colour Yellow banner, in association with Amazon MGM Studios. The screenplay has been written by Himanshu Sharma and Divy Nidhi Sharma, while celebrated composer G. V. Prakash Kumar has scored the music. The film is being positioned as India's very own fantasy family entertainer.

Release Date and What to Expect

'Nayyi Navelli' is scheduled to arrive in theatres on 16 October 2026, timed ahead of the Dussehra festive period — a traditionally strong window for family-oriented releases. The film's distinctive mix of warmth, humour, fantasy, and a slow-burn mystery surrounding a new bahu sets it apart from conventional festive fare, and early trailer reactions suggest strong curiosity around Yami's performance as the enigmatic Mohini.