Manoj Bajpayee on visiting Neem Karoli Baba's Kainchi Dham ashram, its connection to The Family Man: 'I didn't work for a year'

Manoj Bajpayee, known for powerful roles in Gangs of Wasseypur, The Family Man and Inspector Zhende, almost stepped away from acting during a period of restlessness. He found clarity through a spiritual experience at Neem Karoli Baba’s Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand, which inspired his latest film, Jugnuma – The Fable.

Visit to Kainchi Dham inspires Jugnuma

Talking to Too Filmy, Bajpayee revealed that he and director Ram Reddy visited Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand before making Jugnuma – The Fable. During that time, he was going through a restless phase and even considered stepping away from acting. “I was going through a very restless phase. I even thought maybe my time in this profession was up,” he said.

A magical moment at Babaji’s cave

He added that he didn’t work for a year while searching for answers. Director Ram Reddy suggested they visit Babaji’s cave, where they climbed for an hour, meditated, and experienced what Bajpayee described as magical. By the time they came down, they felt they had found the inspiration for the film.

Jugnuma mirrors spiritual lessons

Bajpayee explained that Jugnuma – The Fable reflects the lessons he learned at Kainchi Dham. The film explores themes of liberation, detachment, and inner peace, showing how letting go of attachments can lead to freedom. He said his connection with the protagonist is deep and multifaceted, shaped by the spiritual experience he and director Ram Reddy had, which guided their approach to the story.

Directed by Raam Reddy, Jugnuma – The Fable features Manoj Bajpayee alongside Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose, Hiral Sidhu, Awan Pookot, and Tillotama Shome. The project is produced by Prspctvs Productions, co-produced by Maxmedia and Sikhya Entertainment, and distributed by Flip Films. Academy Award winner Guneet Monga and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap are presenting the film.