Acclaimed filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga Kapoor have come on board as executive producers and presenters for Jugnuma (English title: The Fable), an upcoming feature film starring Manoj Bajpayee. Directed by Raam Reddy, the film is set for a theatrical release across India on September 12, 2025.
Jugnuma is a magical realism drama set in the late 1980s in the Indian Himalayas. The story follows Dev (played by Bajpayee), a man who discovers mysteriously burnt trees across his sprawling fruit orchard estate. As the fires continue to spread despite his efforts, Dev is forced to confront unsettling truths about himself and his family.
The film has already made waves on the international festival circuit, premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival and winning Best Film at the Leeds International Film Festival, along with a Special Jury Prize at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
Anurag Kashyap, who previously collaborated with Bajpayee on Gangs of Wasseypur, praised the actor’s performance in Jugnuma as “restrained, enigmatic, and profoundly moving,” calling the film “deeply humane yet magical”. Guneet Monga Kapoor, whose Sikhya Entertainment is co-producing the film, described Jugnuma as a mirror that “unsettled, comforted, and reminded [her] of cinema’s deepest purpose”.
Director Raam Reddy, known for his National Award-winning debut Thithi, said the film draws heavily from memory, folklore, and history. He emphasized that Jugnuma was designed as a “larger-than-life sensory experience” meant to be seen on the big screen.
The ensemble cast includes Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose, Tillotama Shome, Hiral Sidhu, and Awan Pookot. Dialogues are penned by Varun Grover, and the film is being distributed by Flip Films.
With its powerful storytelling and cinematic pedigree, Jugnuma is being positioned as a modern classic in the making.
