The drama directed by ‘Thithi’ filmmaker Raam Reddy hits theaters on Sept. 12, 2025, and also features Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga Kapoor as executive producers
Manoj Bajpayee (right) and Priyanka Bose (left) in a still from ‘Jugnuma (The Fable).’ Photo: Courtesy of the filmmakers
Director Raam Reddy and lead actor Manoj Bajpayee’s magical realism drama Jugnuma (The Fable) has been earning praise for its nostalgic yet gripping storytelling. After receiving the Special Jury Award at the MAMI Film Festival 2024 and premiering globally at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, actor, writer, singer, and composer Piyush Mishra has now joined the project to contribute a title track that is at once philosophical and unsettling.
The project marks Mishra’s reunion with his early New Delhi theater friends Bajpayee and film auteur Anurag Kashyap, who shares executive producer credits with Academy Award-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor, among others.
Jugnuma—slated to release in theaters on Sept. 12, 2025—is set in the 1980s in the Himalayas, where Bajpayee’s character tries to decode what (or who) is burning trees amid the sprawling fruit orchards in the otherwise peaceful mountains. It marks Reddy’s next film after his globally acclaimed debut Kannada film Thithi from 2015.
Mishra says he attended a special screening of Jugnuma and was taken by the narrative, visual, and performances by Bajpayee, Priyanka Bose, Deepak Dobriyal, Tillotama Shome, and more. “Jugnuma” is written, composed, and sung by Mishra, with production and arrangement by Amey Ghule.
The meditative song took shape after multiple discussions with Reddy and Kashyap. Mishra’s poetic prowess outlines the solitude of living a quiet life, quickly shifting to darker undertones with sounds of the accordion, guitar, and rhythms that match the film’s pacey storytelling. The song is out via Bhonpoo Records—a label founded by music and entertainment entrepreneur Rahul Gandhi, whose company Tamboo also works with Mishra’s music project Ballimaaraan.
Mishra says in a statement, “It reminded me of the joy of creating something pure and magical. Manoj [Bajpayee], with whom I have done theatre in Delhi, has done a splendid job in the film. I hope the song complements his performance and the film overall. Similarly, with Anurag, with whom I also go way back to Delhi and our early collaborations. The understanding is so solid that it has shaped us and our art.”
Raam Reddy added in his statement, “The soul of Piyush ji’s words and voice and the soul of the film feel like they are one and the same. There’s wisdom, lightness, love, hope, and even a hint of playfulness all bundled into one—and I find it astounding how he achieves that. His music has added a layer of depth and emotion to this world, and I’m beyond grateful and excited about this title track that’s about to launch!”
Jugnuma is produced by Pratap Reddy, Sunmin Park, Raam Reddy, and Juhi Agarwal, with executive producers Kapoor, Kashyap, Achin Jain, J Ethan Park, and Ranjan Singh. Gaining nearly 10 million views on YouTube for its trailer released on Aug. 30, 2025, Jugnuma features dialogue written by Varun Grover.