Guneet Monga Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap have joined Manoj Bajpayee’s magical-realism drama, Jugnuma (The Fable) as executive producers. The Raam Reddy directorial will be released in theatres on September 12, the makers announced on Monday.
Set in the late 80s, the film follows Dev (Manoj), 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. The film also stars Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose and Tillotma Shome in pivotal roles.
Speaking about joining the film as executive producer, Anurag said in a statement, “I had loved Raam’s 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.”
Guneet said when she first saw Jugnuma, it felt like a mirror. "It unsettled me, comforted me, and reminded me 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 said.
Guneet said the movie has been shot on film, even in this digital era, and so, every grain of colour speaks, adding to its timeless beauty. "We are proud to bring it to audiences in India, because films of this calibre deserve to be experienced and celebrated in theatres," she added.
Writer-director Raam Reddy called creating Jugnuma “a deeply personal journey”, revealing that it draws heavily from memory, folklore and history. "I feel grateful that it resonated with global audiences before coming home to India. 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 said.
With Hindi dialogues penned by Varun Grover, the film will get an India-wide release by Flip Films. Ranjan Singh of Flip Films said in a statement, “At Flip, we are always eager to distribute such films to a wider audience and we’re proud that Raam chose us to do it. I am extremely confident that the film will remain with the audience for a long time after they see it."
The film is produced by Prspctvs Production, in collaboration with Maxmedia and Sikhya Entertainment. It has travelled in multiple film festivals, including premiering at Berlin International Film Festival, winning Best Film at Leeds International Film Festival and Special Jury Prize at Mami Mumbai Film Festival.
