Every once in a while there comes a film that not only invites an outpouring of love and admiration, but also pierces the cultural zeitgeist in terms of both storytelling and technique and earns its place as a watershed watch.
Jugnuma is one such film. Released in Indian cinemas on September 12 after a successful run in several prestigious festivals around the world, Thithi maker Raam Reddy’s sophomore directorial blends realism and magic realism to touch upon timely themes like displacement, returning natural resources to local communities, and the urge for an unfettered state of being. Playing within the margins of — but never quite bound by it — a slow-burning fable-like structure, it employs the mysticism of the mountains and the deep, dark secrets that lie within us to craft a film that challenges our very notion of what a film ‘should’ be. The unpredictability of its story, its unique approach to filming, its mystic setting and acting that never seems performative has stood Jugnuma in good stead.
“With Jugnuma, you are never quite sure where the story is taking you — and that unpredictability keeps you strangely on edge. That, to me, defines its uniqueness. Congratulations to Raam Reddy, and here’s hoping more audiences embrace films that dare to be truly different,” filmmaker-actor Nandita Das, a strong supporter of the film, told t2.
With Manoj Bajpayee headlining a versatile ensemble cast comprising Priyanka Bose, Tillotama Shome, and Deepak Dobriyal, Jugnuma made history by becoming the first Indian film to win the Best Film award at the 38th Leeds International Film Festival, and also won the Special Jury Award at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024. It had its world premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2024, in the prestigious Encounters segment — marking only the second Indian film in the last 30 years to compete in a key competitive section of the Berlinale. On home ground now, the film is being appreciated, with a large number of filmmakers — Abhishek Chaubey to Vikramaditya Motwane, Amar Kaushik to Advait Chandan — coming together to put their weight behind the film. Jugnuma has Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga Kapoor as executive producers.
“Jugnuma was an absolutely magnificent experience — deeply cinematic, powerful yet quiet, like pure poetry. What a film! People must take time off and watch this in theatres; it’s a work that deserves to be seen on the big screen,” was the word from prolific filmmaker Saeed Akhtar Mirza to t2.
In Jugnuma, Bajpayee — who has described the film as “closest” to his heart — plays an Everyman on the surface, a landowner in the mountains, whose moment of freedom comes in the form of a pair of giant wings that he clips on and ‘flies’ around. Very soon, however, things start going south — his land is ravaged, a quiet rebellion arises within his family and he finds himself at loggerheads with the inhabitants of the neighbouring village, many of who work for him. Reddy masterfully crafts a film that brings together elements as disparate as coming of age and a fast-tipping ecological balance.
“Jugnuma has been a journey that feels almost magical — from the mountains where it was conceived to Berlin to festivals across the world, and now to the love it’s gathering from audiences and critics back home. The affection it continues to receive is nothing less than a gift. It reminds me why stories, especially those told differently, matter so deeply,” Bajpayee told t2. His sentiments are echoed by co-star Tillotama Shome. “Jugnuma was shot in a beautiful place in our country and introduced me to some wonderful humans and creatures. Watching it connect so powerfully with people everywhere is moving in ways words can’t fully capture,” the Calcutta girl tells us.
Priyanka Bose, who plays Bajpayee’s wife in the film and strongly holds her own, says that Jugnuma is the reason why she became an actor — “to be part of stories that move people across borders and languages”, while for Reddy, the positive response to the film rewards the fact that Jugnuma “was born out of a place of deep sincerity, and every frame carries that spirit”.
With Oscar entry season upon us, Jugnuma has the potential to make it to the list, what with Academy winner and festival circuit veteran Guneet backing the film.
Even stylistically — shot on 16mm stock, with every frame conjured with painstaking precision — the film has left a mark. For filmmaker Rima Das, Jugnuma’s visual beauty separates it immediately from its contemporaries. “I’ve always admired Raam Reddy’s work, and Jugnuma felt both courageous and poetic. Its magic realism, performances, and visual beauty stayed with me long after watching. As independent filmmakers, we know how tough it is, but a film like this proves audiences are ready for such stories. With more support and reach, we can truly build an ecosystem for this kind of cinema,” the Village Rockstars maker shared with t2.
