Kolkata : India’s rich ritualistic and folk heritage finds a compelling cinematic expression in Masklore of India, a 62-minute docu-feature that explores the fading yet resilient tradition of indigenous masks across the country. Directed by Indranil Sarkar and produced by Jaspreet Kaur, the film presents a layered narrative of faith, folklore and living performance traditions that continue to shape cultural identities in different regions of India.
Produced under the banner of KR Movies & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., the documentary is being positioned as both an artistic and archival effort to preserve traditions that are slowly disappearing in the face of modernity.
A Journey Across Ritual Landscapes
Masklore of India travels through the red soil regions of Bengal and Odisha, the river islands of Assam, the mountains of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, and the temple traditions of Kerala. The film captures how traditional masks — silent and suspended for most of the year — transform into divine and demonic embodiments during festivals and ritual performances.
Far from being static artefacts preserved behind glass, these masks are shown as living heritage. They carry ancestral memory, serve as pillars of faith and act as symbolic vessels through which mythology walks among people. The documentary suggests that sometimes, to reveal the deepest truth, one must first wear a mask.
Technical Specifications
- Duration: 62 minutes 33 seconds
- Audio: Stereo
- Format: HD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Original Format: 1920 x 1080 P
- Subtitles: English
The Creative Team
The project brings together an experienced creative unit:
- Research & Direction: Indranil Sarkar
- Narration: Uzma Jahangir
- Associate Director: Chandrima Ray
- Cinematography: Subhankar Majumder
- Additional Photography: Jagannath Karmakar, Snehal Wankhede
- Edit & Colour Grading: Ribhu Bhowmik
- Music Composition: Tapan Sinha
- Sound Design: Prosenjit Sarkar
Director’s Vision
Born in Kolkata on December 3, 1975, Indranil Sarkar began his career as a cinematographer before transitioning into direction. His debut directorial work, The Worker – For a Drop of Honey (2005), documented the lives of honey collectors in the Sundarbans.
Over the years, Sarkar has built a diverse body of work spanning documentaries, experimental cinema and fiction films. His notable projects include Utopic Assassin (2006), Living Among the Tides (2009), Daniel’s Diary (2018), and The Turning Point (2019), a docu-feature on Irom Sharmila Chanu. His 2025 project Minority Diary examined minority communities in West Bengal. Many of his films have received national and international recognition.
With Masklore of India, Sarkar continues his exploration of socio-cultural narratives, focusing on ritual art forms that blur the line between performance, spirituality and history.
Producer’s Commitment to Meaningful Cinema
Producer Jaspreet Kaur, Founder and CEO of KR Movies & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., has consistently backed content-driven cinema. Her previous productions include the Bengali film C/O Sir (2013), Bawal (2015), Cholai (2016), and the documentary The Turning Point (2019).
Her 2026 production Masklore of India adds another culturally significant work to her portfolio, reinforcing her focus on films rooted in social and historical contexts. Several of her productions have earned national and international awards.
Cultural Documentation in a Changing India
As rapid urbanisation and commercialisation reshape cultural landscapes, Masklore of India stands as a timely reminder of traditions that survive not in museums but in performance, ritual and community belief. The film attempts not only to document but also to preserve a visual and spiritual archive of India’s mask traditions — where gods descend, demons roar and myths continue to breathe through art.
