Beauty in the blaze – Beyond Bollywood

Director Raam Reddy sophomore rides on its magical realism and the stellar acts led by Manoj Bajpayee.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫  (3.5 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

Raam Reddy is a filmmaker who won the National Award for Best Kannada Film with his debut feature, Thithi (2015).  It’s striking that a Telugu filmmaker from Karnataka chose the Himalayas as the setting for his sophomore film. Originally titled The Fable, it was later renamed Jugnuma. After premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival last year, and touring the festival circuit, the Hindi film now releases in Indian theatres on 12 September.

The title is a combination of two words – Jugnu (fireflies) and nama (tale).  As a genre, magical realism is both underused and largely unheard of in Hindi cinema. Put simply, this style mixes everyday reality with touches of the magical, presented so naturally that the two seem to coexist. While The Fable sounds distinctly English, Jugnuma is likely to spark a more desi curiosity.

Story

Set in 1989, this fable follows Dev (Manoj Bajpayee), a third-generation landowner with vast fields and a flourishing orchard in the Himalayas. Embracing modern farming, he switched to pesticides some time ago. It intially unsettled some workers, though the villagers have since accepted it. A man of few words, Dev finds escape in flying with a wing suit he built himself. Aptly named Dev, though without the arrogance of Icarus. His world, however, begins to tremble when a mysterious fire sweeps through his land and eventually consumes his prised orchard. Dev has his suspicions, but neither he nor his workers can fathom the source of the blaze.

Screenplay & Direction

The early scene of Dev flying against the majestic Himalayan backdrop is breathtaking, but the true magical realism lies in the mysterious fire, something best left for viewers to discover. After a smooth takeoff, the screenplay settles into a slow burn, at times testing your patience. Yet as the drama deepens and the fire spreads, the tension intensifies in the latter half, holding you in its grip. Beneath the tension, all that magical realism, the land, the orchard whisper tales of privilege, blight, subtle class divide, and even cultural stereotypes. Ultimately, this nuanced narrative makes a lasting impact, showcasing Reddy’s delicate subtlety in storytelling

Acting

We’ve seen Dev’s wingsuit, which quietly reflects his ambitions. Though the land and orchard are inherited from British times, Dev is far from a harsh landlord. Despite his privileges, looking at Bajpayee in this role, it feels as if Dev doesn’t truly belong to the mountains. He respects his workers, and they respect him in return, so much that Keshav (Ravi Bisht) refuses to take extra pay for night watch. Yet when the fire rages, it’s disheartening to see how quickly Dev begins to doubt his key men. After all, watching your business, your beloved orchard, burn isn’t likely to keep even the calmest man composed. There’s the literal fire consuming the orchard, and another, quieter fire burning within Dev. He allows brief glimpses of frustration but largely suppresses the rage inside. Bajpayee revels in this tension, showing the raw humanity of his character. Though named Dev, he powerfully embodies the mortal, fallible man beneath the surface.

Dev is completely confused, but his most trusted worker, Mohan (Deepak Dobriyal), is convinced that neither any worker nor villager could be behind the fire. Loyal to the core, Mohan doesn’t even question Dev when he asks him to take a few days’ leave. Dobriyal delivers a competent performance, giving the character depth and credibility.

Priyanka Bose says more with her eyes than with words. Nandini (Bose) is a devoted housewife, though we don’t see many conversations between her and Dev. With her daughter Vanya (Hiral Sidhu) home for summer break, Nandini focuses more on her children than her husband. Even during the turmoil, she never questions him. Bose handles the role with finesse, showing the character’s inner life through subtle expressions.

The most intriguing character here is the daughter, Vanya, who is drawn to the life of the Lama horse nomads, particularly a young monk. They don’t speak much, spending most of their time in meditation. There’s a hint of romanticism, but Vanya seems more fascinated by the nomadic lifestyle itself. Hiral Sidhu displays a maturity beyond her years.

Tilottama Shome also shines in a special appearance as Keshav’s wife, Radha

Music / Technical Aspects

The arthouse-style narrative doesn’t rely on playback music; instead, Reddy emphasizes natural sounds, especially at night, to heighten the intrigue of the visuals. Sunil Borkar, a former shooter turned cinematographer, brilliantly captures the natural beauty, aided by production design from Juhi Agarwal.

The crew faced significant challenges shooting in a remote hill town. They had initially planned to film during the two-month spring season, but untimely weather disrupted those plans, forcing Reddy and his team to rely more on VFX for the luminous sequences. The team also used washable black paint to recreate charred mountainsides. The Dev household, an old British mansion in Abbott Mount, Uttarakhand, was carefully stylized to fit the narrative. Consider also Manoj Bajpayee, whose wingsuit weighed a hefty 16 kilos. All of these elements contribute to Jugnuma’s stunning visual storytelling.

Final word

Jugnuma burns bright, yet its nuanced narrative and understated voice allow nature lovers to find beauty in its blaze. Raam Reddy’s The Fable lingers long after it ends, particularly for those drawn to the nature.

Watch the video review below.