India, Sept. 11 -- Actor Manoj Bajpayee is not a fan of film producers and studios throwing around box office numbers to promote their titles. The actor, who balances commercial and independent cinema, says this obsession with box office is a monster that will 'eat up' its own creators.

The actor is gearing up for the release of Jugnuma, directed by Raam Reddy. The film has earned acclaim worldwide as The Fable and is finally getting a release in Indian theatres this month. Ahead of the release, the National Award winner sits down with Hindustan Times to talk about the state of independent films in the country and the newfound obsession with the box office.

Over the last few years, box office numbers have turned into promotional tools t...