Having earned acclaim for his performance in Netflix’s Inspector Zende this week, Manoj Bajpayee will soon be back to doing what he does best – enthralling audiences on the big screen in an independent film. His next release is Jugnuma (earlier titled The Fable), which has earned praises at film festivals around the world, and is now releasing in Indian theatres.

Ahead of the film’s release, Manoj Bajpayee sits down with Hindustan Times to talk about why the film is special to him and the state of independent cinema in India.

‘Jugnuma is something I have never seen before’

Jugnuma, directed by Raam Reddy, is set in the hills in 1989 and merges magical realism with the chills of a thriller. Talking about what drew him to the film, Manoj says, “The USP is the storytelling. I would say this is the kind of story and storytelling I have never experienced before. I have not experienced this kind of imagination from anyone. When you think of magical realism, you know certain films and how it is done. But the way Raam Reddy has written and executed it on screen is something you have never experienced.”

That is high praise coming from the multiple National Award-winner, who adds that the film’s visual appeal also adds to its magic. Raam Reddy chose to shoot it on 16mm film instead of digital. “When you see the grains on the screen, it is magical,” says Manoj Bajpayee with a smile.

Jugnuma counts Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga as its backers. A recent special screening of the film held in Mumbai saw it being endorsed by many other leading filmmakers like Vikramaditya Motwane, Abhishek Chaubey, Amar Kaushik, Vasan Bala, Advait Chandan, Ayappa KM, Nandita Das, Rima Das, Honey Trehan, Mozez Singh, Umesh Bist, Aditya Sarpotdar, Amit Joshi, and Shlok Sharma. Manoj adds that leading filmmakers from the south, like Vetrimaaran and Nag Ashwin, have also supported the film.

On independent cinema

Talking about their support, Manoj says, “There is a part of this industry that is very together. Many filmmakers have lent their names to the film. It also shows that this section of the industry is more focused on making cinema, rather than focusing on box office turnover. They want to move ahead together and not indulge in bitching about each other.”

Jugnuma also stars Priyanka Bose, Deepak Dobriyal, and Tillotama Shome. It is releasing in theatres on 12 September.