Jugnuma is Ram Reddy's second feature directorial after his debut, Thithi
The film is headlined by Manoj Bajpayee
It will arrive in theatres on September 12, 2025
Actor Manoj Bajpayee starrer Jugnuma (English title: The Fable), directed by Raam Reddy, will hit the theatres on September 12. The film marks Reddy's sophomore feature, after his 2016 Kannada National Award-winning debut Thithi.
Billed as "magical realism drama", Jugnuma is presented by Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga Kapoor. Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose, and Tillotama Shome are also part of the cast. Varun Grover has penned the dialogues of the film.
According to a press release, the film is set in the late 80s, and revolves around the story of "Dev (Bajpayee), who discovers mysteriously burnt trees in his sprawling estate of fruit orchards nestled in the Indian Himalayas. In spite of all efforts, more fires break out, leading him to see himself and his family for who they truly are."
Jugnuma was screened at prestigious film festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival and the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Reddy said he is grateful that the film resonated with the global audiences.
"To have cinematic visionaries like Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga join us as presenters is a huge honour, and having Flip Films to distribute it gives me immense joy. The film was designed to be a larger-than-life sensory experience and it was always my dream that its sense of scale should be experienced in theatres. I cannot wait to share that cinematic world with a pan-India audience on September 12," he shared in a statement.
Kapoor called the film "a modern classic in the making." She said it unsettled, and comforted her and also reminded her of cinema’s deepest purpose.
"Raam Reddy is one of the most exciting voices in Indian cinema today, and with Manoj Bajpayee and an extraordinary ensemble cast bringing his vision to life, this film feels like a modern classic in the making," she added.
Kashyap said he loved Thithi, "which was so rooted and genuine, and with Jugnuma, he has created a film that feels timeless."
"The film is deeply humane yet magical in the way it unfolds. And at the centre of it, Manoj Bajpayee delivers a performance unlike anything we’ve seen before — restrained, enigmatic, and profoundly moving. It’s a film which I am extremely proud to present it to the Indian audience," he added.
