Description

In 1991, the Government of India opened up the economy and unleashed the forces of globalization, forever changing the landscape of the country. A dozen years later, India was celebrating its emergence as a global economic super power. Set in 2004, in the midst of a nationwide ‘India Shining’ campaign, the film Mantra tells the intimate story of a family and its travails, and through it, the story of the New India.

The protagonist of the film is Kapil Kapoor, the founder of an iconic Indian snack brand in the ‘License Raj’ old India. But today – in 2004 – he is fighting a losing battle against a multinational that has taken over the market. But it is not just his company that Kapil is desperately trying to save; it is also his own wife and children who are battling their own crises.

But for Kapil to hold on to everything that is dear to him – professionally and personally – he must confront himself; what he will save, and what he will lose, depends on the extent he is willing to face his own demons. Mantra is a film that is deeply personal, set against the landscape of a sprawling, changing, India.

Director's Bio

Nicholas Kharkongor has worked extensively in theatre and film nearly 20 years. His plays have been performed in Delhi, Bombay, London and New york, among other cities. In film, he assisted one of India’s foremost indie filmmakers, Rajat Kapoor. Mantra is his debut film.

Credits

: Rajat Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin, Shiv Pandit, Adil Hussain, Lushin Dubey, Rohan Joshi,

Precedes

1. 

   Riff Raff

   Ahmed Arif / HBO Short Film Competition / Pakistan / 2016 / 15 mins

   One evening in upper-middle-class Karachi, a forty-year-old man maneuvers between the deceptive allure of his social scene, and the reality he has at home...

   Preceded by: Mantra

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