'Magical things happened': Manoj Bajpayee nearly quit acting, says Neem Karoli Baba Ashram visit gave him clarity
In preparing for Jugnuma, Manoj Bajpayee and director Raam Reddy visited Neem Karoli Baba Ashram, which influenced their creative process. The film, blending magical realism and personal themes, premiered at major festivals before its recent release.
Actor Manoj Bajpayee has revealed that before beginning work on his latest film Jugnuma (The Fable), he and director Raam Reddy visited the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram at Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand. The serene Himalayan setting, Bajpayee said, played a pivotal role in shaping their approach to the project.
Set in the late 1980s, Jugnuma is steeped in magical realism and explores themes of generational trauma, superstition, class and mysticism. After travelling to prestigious festivals including Berlinale, Leeds, MAMI and Mumbai Film Festival, the film hit theatres last week.
Speaking to Just Too Filmy, Bajpayee recalled how he and Reddy decided not to head straight to the shooting location but to meet “somewhere in the middle” — which turned out to be the ashram. “We went to Babaji’s cave. We meditated and some magical things happened. We both witnessed it. As we were climbing down, both of us said, ‘We found the film’. It was just a feeling. If you ask me to narrate it, I can’t,” he said.
For Bajpayee, who has built a formidable career over three decades, Jugnuma also came at a time of personal uncertainty. The National Award-winning actor admitted that there was a phase when he almost gave up on films altogether. “I was going through a restless period. It made me feel that my time was up and I should leave this profession. It was very intense. Just before starting Jugnuma, I didn’t work for one year. The same happened right before season one of The Family Man started,” he revealed.
The actor said his friends were worried, but his wife, former actor Shabana Raza, offered unwavering support. “She told me, ‘Do whatever work you want to do. If you feel like leaving this city and industry, we are ready for it.’ I couldn’t find the answers myself, but I found them in the script of Jugnuma. I connected with it instantly,” he added.
Directed by Raam Reddy, best known for his National Award-winning debut Thithi, Jugnuma features Bajpayee in a deeply layered role. His spiritual connection to the project also echoes the devotion of other well-known followers of Neem Karoli Baba, including actor Anushka Sharma and cricketer Virat Kohli.