Girish Malik’s latest docu-drama, Mahamantra – The Great Chant, is set to premiere at the 56th International Film Festival of India as a Special Showcase. The 75-minute English-language film was reportedly conceived as a response to the issues plaguing the world including global pandemic, wars, climate anxiety, and social upheaval.

According to the makers, the film blends mythology, history, science, sound, movement, and symbolism into a singular narrative that urges collective resilience and higher consciousness. It draws parallels between Shiva’s cosmic dance and modern scientific theories, as per Variety in an interview. The director noted that the film will be "a bridge between Vedic science and the groundbreaking insights of modern thinkers like Einstein, Tesla and Carl Sagan."

Malik made his directorial debut with Jal in 2013. The film which premiered at the Busan Film Festival that year, won the National Award for Best Special Effects at the 61st National Film Awards. It was also short-listed as India's official entry to the 2014 Academy Awards in the Best Picture Category. Later, he made Torbaaz, starring Sanjay Dutt in 2020 which premiered directly on Netflix. Last year, he helmed the musical film Band of Maharajas which contended for the Oscars in two categories - Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

The music for Mahamantra has composed by multiple Grammy nominee Bickram Ghosh, while Padma Shri awardee Shubha Mudgal lends her voice to the project. The docu-drama also has contributions from Sri Swami Swatmananda, a Vedic scholar and former tech expert; Dr Rajeshwar Mukherjee, Professor of Vedic Science and Theoretical Physics at Nalanda University; and Gupta Kaushik, philosopher, and philanthropist. Dr Arvind Lal, the executive chair of Dr. Lal PathLabs has narrated the project.

The film is produced by Malik’s Clapstem Productions.