Documentaries

As a filmmaker, Ruchi Saini extends her engagement with Kathak beyond the stage — using cinema as a medium to preserve, interpret, and share the inner world of Indian classical arts.

The Kettle and The Cup (2025)

Director: Ruchi Saini
Duration: 40 minutes
Watch: The Kettle and the Cup

‘The Kettle & The Cup’ is created in the loving memory of the revered Kathak Maestro, Late Guru Munna Shukla Ji of the Kalka-Bindadin Gharana. Intended as an archival work, the documentary honors the sacred bond between Guru and Shishya, offering a rare glimpse into Maukhik Vidya, the oral tradition that lies at the heart of classical arts in the East.

It unveils the deeper layers of Kathak and reflects on what it truly means to carry forward an ancient lineage while preserving its sanctity and relevance. The film invites viewers to experience Kathak’s aesthetic richness and the quiet, enduring lessons it imparts in humble, mindful living, a value system that forms its very core.

AKAAR PRAKAAR (2023)

Director: Ruchi Saini
Duration: 40 minutes
Watch: Akaar Prakaar on YouTube

Akaar Prakaar is a contemplative documentary dedicated to musicologist and philosopher Late Dr. Sushil Kumar Saxena Ji, created in loving memory of Guru Munna Shukla Ji. Through intimate recorded conversations with Dr. Saxena and interspersed demonstrations by Ruchi, the film explores the subtle grammar of Kathak — taal, ang, abhinaya — and their deeper philosophical meanings. Drawing from nearly two decades of discipleship under her Guru, Ruchi offers a rare insight into the dialogue between thought and movement, intellect and intuition — the form and the formless that define Indian classical arts

MUSIC IN THE MUNDANE (2022)

Director: Ruchi Saini
Duration: 40 minutes
Watch: Music in the Mundane on YouTube

Music in the Mundane traces the journey of Ruchi Saini, a Kathak dancer and educator, as she reimagines her teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. When in-person classes came to a halt, the dedication of her students inspired her to embrace the online medium and discover new ways of learning, connection, and joy. What began as virtual sessions soon became spaces of togetherness — where rhythm, play, and creativity thrived despite physical distance.

The film captures these heartfelt exchanges, reflecting on how art adapts, heals, and finds meaning in changing times. All content in this film is original, drawn from Ruchi’s online classes with due consent from all participants.

ARPAN (2012)

Director: Ruchi Saini
Duration: 45 minutes
Watch: Arpan on YouTube

Arpan is a tribute to Kathak Maestro Guru Shri Munna Shukla Ji, illuminating his artistic legacy and quiet strength as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher of the Lucknow Gharana. The film weaves reflections from scholars, critics, disciples, and family, portraying him not as a conventional “winner,” but as an artist who remained steadfast in his convictions. Through its nuanced storytelling, Arpan reveals the spiritual essence of classical art — reminding us that for true masters, dance is not performance but a way of being.

Ruchi Saini

ruchisaini.smc@gmail.com