Overview

• Jugnuma, internationally known as The Fable, opens in Indian theatres on September 12 following a festival run that included a Berlin premiere, Best Film at Leeds and a Special Jury Prize at MAMI.
• Calling the industry’s focus on grosses a self-destructive “Bhasmasura,” Bajpayee criticises producers for using box-office tallies as promotion and argues it harms independent films.
• He says OTT platforms briefly welcomed indie stories before shifting to mainstream, star-led projects, narrowing distribution paths for smaller titles.
• Raam Reddy’s late‑1980s Himalayan drama blends magic realism with a distinctive 16 mm visual texture and features Priyanka Bose, Deepak Dobriyal and Tillotama Shome alongside Bajpayee.
• Presenter support from Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga and a recent Mumbai screening drew endorsements from noted filmmakers, and Bajpayee attended a premiere event on September 11.