The promotional campaign for Mohammad Nuruzzaman’s feature film Mastul officially began on Tuesday with the release of its first poster, exactly one month ahead of its theatrical release on July 17.
Designed by Dhruba Esh, the poster offers the first glimpse of the much-anticipated film, which has already garnered international recognition on the festival circuit.
Speaking about the release, Nuruzzaman said the film had initially been slated for a domestic release earlier this year following its international festival screenings. Although the production had already received clearance from the Bangladesh Film Certification Board, the team ultimately decided to postpone the release to allow for more extensive preparations.
“Mastul was ready for release, but considering the overall circumstances and to better prepare for its theatrical run, we chose to reschedule the premiere,” the director said.
The film centres on an ageing cook working aboard a fuel tanker and a street child living in a port area. Through their evolving relationship, Mastul explores themes of marginalisation, loneliness, affection, power dynamics, and survival.
Set in Narayanganj—one of Bangladesh’s busiest river ports and the director’s hometown—the film features performances by Fazlur Rahman Babu, Deepak Suman, Aminur Rahman, and others.
Shot on location across bustling shipping routes, river ports and fish markets, the production combines professional actors with real-life tanker crew members, adding authenticity to its portrayal of working-class lives.
Mastul has already earned acclaim at several international film festivals. The film received a Special Mention in the main competition section of the 47th Moscow International Film Festival and later won the Best Artistic Contribution award at the 18th Cheboksary International Film Festival in Russia. It was also nominated in the Best Humanitarian Film category at the 26th Imagineindia International Film Festival in Spain.