Bangladeshi documentary ‘Qasida of Dhaka’ won the award for the best documentary at the Indus Valley International Film Festival in Delhi. The documentary was directed by young director Ananya Murshid.
The director said in a press release that the festival was held online from August 1 to August 9. It shows selected films from South Asian countries.
The film talks about a traditional form of songs. It’s called Qasida song- a form of songs sung mainly in Ghazal fashion and with the Urdu language. During the month of Ramadan, a group of people and volunteers sang these songs through the alley of old Dhaka to wake up the Rozedars. This is a century-old tradition.
Historically, these practitioners are patronized by the different mohalla owners. But unfortunately, this tradition is now almost lost and the practitioners are suffering.
Ananya Murshid said that the tradition of Qasida songs is now on the verge of extinction. I have tried here to address the situation of this art form and put a glimpse of those practitioners.
The documentary was produced by the production company Bangladhol.
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