Aiming the most anticipated theatrical release of Amitabh Reza Chowdhury’s film ‘Rickshaw Girl’ on 24th January 2025, Half Stop Down releases its first music video online, ‘Kon Latai E Urba Ghuri’ as a tribute to rickshaw painting and rickshaw artisans of Bangladesh. ‘Rickshaw Girl’ is a film that follows a young migrated dreamer Naima as she navigates her life around Dhaka city as a rickshaw-puller and ultimately regaining her passion to paint on rickshaws living in a workshop.
‘Kon Latai E Urba Ghuri’ is a song, which is also a prayer for Naima’s endeavor towards achieving her dream. Rickshaw painting and rickshaws were acknowledged into UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023, making it an undying heritage of Bangladesh in global platform. The film is an adaptation of Mitali Perkins’ novel with the same title but the director, Amitabh Reza Chowdhury has given a stronger emphasis visually on the imaginative realm of rickshaw painting through Naima’s passionate drive as an artist faced with realistic hurdles.
Upon the release of the music video, the Executive Producer of the film, Md Assaduzzaman says, “Rickshaw Girl is truly a piece of our hearts and an inspiration for the kids to dream big. Bangladeshi rickshaws are unique from anywhere in the world; the vibrant, imaginative moving images are a symbol of pride for us as Bangladeshis. It was our intention that the first music video from the film to be released would be a tribute to this urban-folk heritage, the craftsmanship and creativity. The practice of rickshaw painting is now rare due to digital printing advancements; we are delighted to play our part in preserving the tradition through our film, Rickshaw Girl. I hope it resonates deeply with Naima’s home country as it did worldwide.”