The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa witnessed a rare moment of stillness amid the usual glamour when filmmaker Girish Malik premiered his 75-minute masterpiece, Mahamantra – The Great Chant. Far from a conventional documentary or drama, the film is a meditative docu-drama that weaves ancient Indian mythology with cutting-edge sound science and the transformative power of the Gayatri Mantra.

A Cinematic Prayer in Motion

At its core, Mahamantra – The Great Chant is an invitation to experience rather than merely watch. The film takes viewers on a visually stunning journey through cosmic creation myths, Himalayan sadhus chanting at dawn, and modern laboratories measuring the biological effects of sound frequencies. Malik cleverly alternates between breathtaking aerial shots of sacred rivers and close-ups of brain scans lighting up during mantra recitation, creating a bridge between the mystical and the measurable.

When Science Meets the Sacred

What sets the film apart is its fearless fusion of spirituality and empirical evidence. Neuroscientists and sound engineers appear alongside yogis and Sanskrit scholars, demonstrating how the precise vibrational frequency of the Gayatri Mantra (said to resonate at 432 Hz) can lower cortisol levels, balance brain hemispheres, and even influence water molecule structure. These aren’t mere claims—Malik presents actual research footage that lends credibility to millennia-old wisdom.

The Voices That Elevate the Soul

The legendary Dr Arvind Lal, chairman of Dr Lal PathLabs and a respected name in Indian healthcare, lends his calm, authoritative baritone as the film’s narrator. His scientific background perfectly complements the subject matter, grounding the spiritual exploration in rational discourse.

Grammy-nominated tabla maestro Bickram Ghosh composes a soundscape that feels both ancient and contemporary, while Padma Shri awardee Shubha Mudgal’s transcendent vocals breathe life into the mantra sequences. The result is an auditory experience that reportedly leaves audiences in pin-drop silence long after the credits roll.

A Healing Anthem for Fractured Times

In an era of increasing mental health crises and social division, Malik positions Mahamantra as more than art—it’s medicine. Early audience reactions at IFFI suggest many experienced profound emotional releases during screenings, with several describing physical sensations of warmth and lightness. The film subtly argues that collective chanting could be humanity’s original social technology for unity and healing.

The Vision Behind the Vibration

Speaking at the post-screening Q&A, Girish Malik revealed that the project took seven years to complete. “We weren’t making a film about the Gayatri Mantra,” he shared. “We were creating a living transmission. Every frame frequency, every sound mix, every cut was designed to carry the mantra’s energy directly to the viewer’s nervous system.”

A New Genre Is Born?

Mahanmantra – The Great Chant might just herald the arrival of “cinematic sadhana”—films engineered not just to inform or entertain, but to transform. As festival-goers left the auditorium visibly moved, many whispering the mantra under their breath, it was clear that Girish Malik has achieved something extraordinary: a motion picture that functions as moving meditation.

In a film industry often criticized for noise over substance, Mahamantra – The Great Chant proves that sometimes the most powerful cinematic experiences are the quietest ones. This is spiritual cinema that doesn’t preach—it resonates.

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