This film sees Manoj Bajpayee flying with wings, and you can’t help but wish he flew straight into the hands of a brilliant writer and filmmaker—because the immense talent he possesses isn’t being utilized properly these days.
Just because a film earns applause at international film festivals doesn’t necessarily mean it will be extraordinary or that the common audience will understand or enjoy it.
Jugnumaa has received praise at several film festivals, even winning Best Film at the 38th Leeds Film Festival. But after watching it, it feels like a movie made exclusively for festivals, not for the average viewer. In fact, calling it a documentary would be more apt. Releasing it in theatres seems puzzling—it belonged on OTT platforms, as theatre-goers would hardly flock to see such a film.
Story
The story revolves around Dev (Manoj Bajpayee), the owner of a large orchard in the hills. With wings on his back, he can literally fly. The orchard was handed down to his grandfather by the British. Dev also uses pesticides in his orchards, a job managed by Mohan (Deepak Dobriyal). Suddenly, mysterious fires begin breaking out in the trees. Why are the fires starting, and who is behind them? That’s what the film attempts to uncover.
How is the Film?
In one scene, Dev (Manoj Bajpayee) asks someone, ‘Is everything okay?’ While watching this movie, you wish he asked the same question to the audience too.
This is not a commercial film. It moves at a painfully slow pace and requires a lot of effort to understand—yet, even after all that, many parts remain confusing. Long, lingering shots make the movie drag so much that it turns boring. At times, you feel sleepy or even clueless about what’s happening on screen.
The film tries to say something, but deciphering that message becomes a Herculean task. It’s like trying to explain something simple to an average person using the kind of complex words Shashi Tharoor often uses.
Praising festival films has become a trend, and everyone wants to join the bandwagon, but the reality is this film won’t resonate with the common audience. Yes, the cinematography is beautiful, locations are stunning, and performances are solid—but overall, the film disappoints.
Performances
Manoj Bajpayee never delivers a bad performance, and here too, he is brilliant. But all he can do is act—he can’t control writing or direction. His work shines, though.
Deepak Dobriyal is outstanding, but he simply doesn’t get the kind of roles his talent deserves. Even here, he leaves a mark. Priyanka Bose and Tillotama Shome are decent in their parts.
Writing and Direction
The film is written and directed by Raam Reddy, who previously helmed Thithi in 2016. That Kannada film earned him a National Award and several international accolades. This time too, it seems like Jugnumaa has been made purely with awards in mind—and indeed, it’s bagging some.
However, the storytelling needed to be simplified so the audience could actually connect with it and find entertainment value in it.