Bangladeshi Mahadi's poster grabs spotlight in SRK’s promotional campaign

In the realm of Bollywood hat-tricks, Shah Rukh Khan, the Baadshah of Bollywood, has been creating ripples with the release of the film "Dunki" this year. Under the direction of the renowned filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, Shah Rukh Khan has been actively championing this film for an extended period, consistently sharing updates on various social media platforms.

Amongst the multitude of posts, one particular poster has received significant attention. On December 20, Shah Rukh Khan shared a poster of the movie "Dunki" from his official X account (formerly known as Twitter). It's noteworthy that this poster, created by the Bangladeshi teenager Mahadi Rahman, is not an official promotional material for the movie.

On December 20, Shah Rukh Khan shared a poster of the movie “Dunki”,created by Mahadi Rahman, from his official X account.

This isn't the first time Mahadi has captured the spotlight. Previously, he shared a self-designed poster for the movie "Pathaan" on his Instagram story, receiving recognition from Bollywood producer Karan Johar. He also crafted another poster, presenting it as a gift to Shah Rukh Khan through the Shah Rukh Khan Fan Club in India.

A poster, created by Mahadi, being presented as a gift to Shah Rukh Khan via the Shah Rukh Khan Fan Club in India.

Mahadi's designed posters can be spotted not only on the streets and buses of India but also on chip packets. His work has even found its way into prominent news media in both India and Bangladesh.

Despite gaining widespread recognition for his poster designs, this teenage prodigy from Bangladesh has been honing his skills since 2020, drawing inspiration from movie plots and infusing his own ideas and creativity into the posters.

Recounting the moment Shah Rukh Khan shared his poster on Twitter, Mahadi expressed, "I don't use Twitter much. On that day, as I scrolled through, I suddenly saw that Shah Rukh Khan had shared my poster. That sight made my hands and legs tremble."

Mahadi shared a self-designed poster for the movie “Pathaan” on his Instagram story, receiving recognition from Bollywood producer Karan Johar.

Mahadi, who recently completed school, embarked on his journey of creating movie posters in 2020. Prior to that, he was already involved in design work. His poster-making journey dedicated to his favourite star, Shah Rukh Khan, commenced in 2021.

Despite being only 18 years old, Mahadi has made substantial contributions to advertisements and films. In 2022, he designed posters for the movie "Shaan" and crafted the promotional materials for "Mission Extreme". Beyond poster design, Mahadi's growing interest lies in cinematography. He has collaborated with companies like Banglalink, Airtel, VIVO, and Pathao as a cinematographer. Additionally, he worked as an editor for Yamaha's advertisement. Reflecting on his work experience, Mahadi remarked, "Everyone has shown love and appreciation since my early years."

Mahadi Rahman.

Shah Rukh Khan remains Mahadi's foremost source of inspiration. He acknowledges, "If Shah Rukh Khan weren't there, I might not have started this work."

During his leisure time, Mahadi indulges in writing stories and exhibits prowess in photography. He aspires to submit his own short film to various international film festivals in 2024, currently dedicated to this project. Looking ahead, he envisions a future deeply intertwined with filmmaking.

When asked about his favourite directors, Mahadi expresses admiration for Nuhush Humayun's work. He draws inspiration from cinematographers and storytellers like Rony Sharafat, Affan Aziz Pritul, Shamrat Neero, and Taha Ismail, appreciating their contributions to the field.

Translated by Mahiya Tabassum.