By - Amit kumaR Agarwal
One of the most talked about films at 56th IFFI was ‘Mahamantra: The Great Chant’ directed by Girish Malik.
Lauded for it's visual tapestry, the film is touted as bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and modern crisis.
Speaking exclusively to Bhaarat Bol News, much-awarded film-maker, Girish Malik, better known to 90's generation from the blockbuster hit, 'Shola Aur Shabnam' said that the response at IFFI, "can't merely be described in words. you had to be there to feel the high the team of Mahamantra had".
Mahamantra features narration by Padma Shri, Brigadier Dr. Arvind Lal, music composed by Grammy-nominee Bickram Ghosh, and vocals by Padma Shri-awardee Shubha Mudgal.
To add to its laurels, Mahamantra: The Great Chant, made the cut to the first shortlist for the 98th Academy Awards in the Documentary Feature category, coinciding with its world premiere as a Special Showcase at IFFI Goa 2025.
The 75-minute English-language film, was crafted over the years - marked by global turbulence - from pandemics and war to climate anxiety and social upheaval.
The film is described by Girish as a cinematic meditation, "for a world grappling with meaning and purpose. You see all around, he world is almost on the brink of a war. It is very important to get back to our roots. Mahamantra offers ancient solutions to modern problems".
The film was earlier presented during the Berlinale at the European Film Market, where audiences loved the way the film fused Vedic philosophy, contemporary science and urgent social commentary.
Girish says that "critics have already described the film, having a deep emotional connect; a cry from the soul”.
The film, produced by Girish Malik, marks a departure from his previous films because this time around, his film tackles themes that draw parallels between Shiva’s cosmic dance and modern scientific theories, while incorporating references to historical figures like Oppenheimer and Einstein.
Adding the much-needed depth to the philosophical exploration is famed tabla maestro Bikram Ghosh, whose credentials include four Grammy-nominated albums.
Ghosh’s score aims to enhance the film’s blend of Japanese Butoh and Indian classical dances.
The treatment of the film has a global connect and appeal, "this is because I present the “Om Namah Shivaya” mantra, not merely as a religious invocation but as a living, breathing force capable of reshaping our very essence, our very being, ringing in world peace", gushes Girish.
On being queried, if he sees the film as being a cult-film over the years, Malik smiled and says, "Mahamantra delves into the very heart of Shiva’s cosmic dance, weaving it with the strategic brilliance of Krishna during the ‘Mahabharata,’ and even the moral plight faced by figures like J Robert Oppenheimer and beyond. So I won't be surprised if the film creates a cult-following in the historical-annals of cinema”.