The Great Mandrake

Filmmaker Tara L. C. Sood captures India’s magic tradition and the centuries-old rituals that root it, between philosophy, spirituality and everyday illusion.

Exploring India’s magic tradition, Franco-Indian filmmaker Tara L. C. Sood merges performance, culture, and philosophy to reveal magic as both art and a spiritual gateway for short film The Great Mandrake. Capturing ten renowned magicians from Southern India at a staged convention in Bangalore, the film delves into the cultural history of Indian magic, rooted in centuries-old rituals, spiritual practices, and the street magicians of colonial-era Calcutta.

“By staging and documenting the convention simultaneously, The Great Mandrake destabilised traditional notions of truth in storytelling, creating a cinematic language that compels viewers to question not only what they see but also how they see.”

Accompanying the photo series of the same name, The Great Mandrake seeks to explore magic as both an art form and a philosophical concept, holding a mirror to human experience and the illusions embedded in our everyday realities.

Nowness, May 15, 2025