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Filmmaker Girish Malik's latest docu-drama, 'Mahamantra - The Great Chant', is set to premiere at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2025) as a Special Showcase, marking one of the festival's most anticipated screenings of the year.
The 75-minute English-language film is Malik's most urgent and spiritually charged work yet, conceived over years marked by global pandemics, wars, climate anxiety, and social upheaval, as a cinematic response to a world searching for meaning, balance, and awakening. The director, known for his visually immersive storytelling, blends mythology, history, science, sound, movement, and symbolism into a singular narrative that urges collective resilience and higher consciousness. The documentary is narrated by (Honorary) Brigadier Dr Arvind Lal, Padma Shri. The music is composed by multiple Grammy nominee Bickram Ghosh, while Padma Shri awardee Shubha Mudgal lends her distinctive and devotional voice to the project.The docu-drama also features several renowned contributors, including Sri Swami Svatmananda, a Vedic scholar and former tech expert; Dr Rajeshwar Mukherjee, Professor of Vedic Science and Theoretical Physics at Nalanda University; and Gupta Kaushik (G.K. Sir), a Sanatan advocate, philosopher, and philanthropist. Meanwhile, Malik's filmography is known for consistently pushing boundaries: his debut 'JAL' (2014) competed at Busan, won a National Award, and entered the Oscar contention list; Torbaaz (2021) trended in over 20 countries on Netflix; and Band of Maharajas (2024) advanced in two Oscar categories from the 97th Academy Awards' Best Picture Reminder List. Scheduled to take place from November 20 to 28, IFFI 2025 will feature over 240 films from 81 countries. This year's IFFI will include 13 world premieres, four international premieres, and 46 Asian premieres. Organisers said they received a record 2,314 film submissions from 127 countries. The festival will conclude with a special ceremony honouring Rajinikanth's remarkable 50-year journey in Indian cinema. (ANI)
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