Mangal Shobhajatra:
A Celebration of Resilience
Documentary film project on Mangal Shobhajatra contextualize Pohela Boishakh at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka, 2016-2018
I directed the independent, feature-length documentary Mangal Shobhajatra: A Celebration of Resilience for the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Dhaka. This experimental film captures the Mangal Shobhajatra procession—a vibrant, large-scale public art performance held at dawn on the first day of the Bengali New Year in Bangladesh.
The documentary presents this annual event as a symbol of secular identity, cultural resilience, and urban festival traditions rooted in Dhaka. Structured through frameworks of visual culture and art history, the film documents this significant cultural practice while investigating the profound role of art as an act of resistance against
fundamentalist forces. Using a blend of experimental moving image techniques, the film serves as a digital archive, recording the stories, processes, and methodologies of the artists and organizers who bring this event to life each year. This project was entirely self-funded and took five years to complete. Begun in 2013 while I was still a student, the film reflects my dedication to exploring regional culture through independent, cinematic storytelling, addressing complex issues of cultural preservation and institutional responsibility.