Mumbai, 13 Sept

Actor Manoj Bajpayee says his latest film Jugnuma helped him reconnect with himself and his sense of purpose during a period of personal uncertainty.

Bajpayee took nearly a year off, despite being lined up for ‘The Family Man’, as he wrestled with existential questions and struggled with restlessness. “I was at a juncture in my life where the questions were becoming very intense… this film answered everything for me,” he told PTI.

Directed by Raam Reddy (Thithi), ‘Jugnuma’ blends magical realism with themes of generational trauma, village legends, and mysticism. Set in the late 1980s in the Himalayas, Bajpayee plays Dev, the patriarch of an orchard estate, who discovers mysteriously burnt trees disrupting his world.

The actor praised Reddy’s storytelling as “magical and imaginative” and called him a rare talent India needs to celebrate. Reflecting on his career, Bajpayee said independent films like ‘Satya’, ‘Aligarh’, and ‘Bhonsle’ shaped him as an actor and instilled a passion for meaningful cinema.

Released nationwide on Friday, ‘Jugnuma’ previously won accolades at the Berlin and Leeds International Film Festivals, and received a special jury prize at Mumbai’s MAMI Film Festival. Bajpayee said such recognition reinforces the importance of festivals, where the focus is purely on the craft of filmmaking.

The film also stars Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose, and Tillotma Shome, and is presented by Guneet Monga and Anurag Kashyap.