The upcoming Mastery film festival, produced by StoneX, will spotlight documentaries on Indian cultural icons, including Hindustani vocalist Shubha Mudgal, singer Usha Uthup, writer Ruskin Bond, and Bharatanatyam dancer Anita Ratnam.
The festival aims to explore their creative lives and the processes that have shaped their work, emphasizing the routines, gestures, and spaces behind their artistry rather than just their achievements.
It will feature films by director Mriidu Khosla and take place at Sameksha Art Gallery in New Delhi on April 3–4, marking the start of a multi-city preview program ahead of the series’ release on SonyLiv mid-year.
Organisers describe Mastery as an immersive festival experience, blending curated screenings, multi-screen environments, spatial storytelling, and interactive installations.
The opening in New Delhi will feature a private evening with a panel discussion between Mudgal and Ratnam, highlighting their reflections on artistic practice and mastery.
After the New Delhi preview, the festival will travel to Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad, offering audiences across India a chance to engage with the series.
Khosla, founder of Zcyphher Films, stated that the festival’s approach focuses on observing artists’ routines, silences, and gestures—capturing the human side of the creative process.
He emphasised that the films shift attention from accolades to the lived experience of practice, providing an intimate look at how discipline, repetition, and environment shape an artist’s work.
Mudgal echoed this sentiment, noting that the initiative emphasizes the quiet, often unseen aspects of creativity, revealing the dedication and humility that underpin artistic mastery.
In addition to the featured icons, the festival will showcase documentaries on percussionist V Selvaganesh, painter Krishen Khanna, and filmmaker Rima Das.
The first season of Mastery highlighted a diverse mix of contemporary voices, including sitarist Rishab Sharma, actor Lekha Washington, visual artist Benitha Perciyal, filmmaker Sandeep Narayan, chef Sarah Todd, and artist Vibha Galhotra, establishing the festival’s commitment to multidisciplinary storytelling and celebration of creative processes across art forms.
By offering audiences an intimate glimpse into the lives and practices of India’s most celebrated artists, Mastery seeks to redefine how cultural excellence is experienced, moving beyond recognition to focus on the dedication, attention, and humility that sustain artistic brilliance over a lifetime.
he festival promises a unique, reflective, and immersive engagement with art, culture, and creativity. (PTI)
