Turtle, Rabbit & a Flower: How Assam's Shivangini’s Vision Won Nation’s Heart

Shivangini Sarmah Kashyap from Dibrugarh, Assam, has made the region proud by securing the third position at the national level in the Film Poster Making Challenge, held as part of the prestigious WAVES Summit 2025 in Mumbai. Competing against over 600 participants from across the country, her digitally crafted film poster stood out for its creativity and concept, earning her a spot among the top winners.

The WAVES Summit 2025 featured a vibrant Digital Poster Making Competition, encouraging creative expression on themes like sustainability and digital innovation. Participants showcased artistic talent and awareness, aligning with the summit’s vision. The competition highlighted youth engagement, with winners recognized for originality, impact, and relevance to the summit’s core message.

Speaking exclusively to Pratidin Time, Shivangini shared, “It was a film poster-making competition held at the national level with over 600 entries. I was thrilled to win third place and was invited to attend the main summit event in Mumbai. The entire experience was absolutely amazing and truly unforgettable. There were participants from all over the world, along with renowned animators and directors. We even attended masterclasses conducted by celebrated figures such as Richie Mehta, director of 'Delhi Crime', and Bollywood actors Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar.”

Reflecting on a special moment during the event, she said, “What made the experience even more surreal was our interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I was extremely nervous, but when he looked at my poster, he smiled and said, ‘Bohot badhiya.’ It was a moment I will always cherish. It’s heartening to see that the government is now actively supporting the creative industries and offering platforms like this for artists.”

Shivangini holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. She recalled her journey into the creative field, saying, “While I studied Psychology, I was always drawn to art. My mother is an artist, and creativity runs in my maternal family. However, I lacked the confidence to pursue it professionally. During my gap year, I explored different career options, and I worked as a graphic designer with China Garden, Delhi, the restaurant known for inventing Chicken Manchurian. My boss there encouraged me to take design courses, and during my first online class, I realized this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

In 2024, she enrolled in a Master’s program in Communication Design at Pearl Academy, Delhi. It was through her professors there that she came to know about the WAVES competition and received valuable mentorship in preparing for it.

Describing her winning poster, Shivangini explained, “We were given a list of 20 movies and had to choose one to design a poster. I selected the classic film 'Katha'. Instead of featuring the actors, I used visual metaphors, a chawl in the background, and a rabbit and turtle holding a hibiscus flower. These elements symbolized the core of the story, and I believe the conceptual depth of the design helped me stand out.”

In her concept note, Shivangini elaborated that the poster for 'Katha' was built around the core message of “slow and steady wins the race.” Naseeruddin Shah’s character is depicted as the turtle, while Farooq Sheikh is symbolized as the rabbit. Deepti Naval is represented by a hibiscus, an element featured throughout the film and even in its official posters. The background of the chawl reflects the film’s central setting. In the end, the turtle wins both the race and the girl, symbolized by the hibiscus he carries. The aim, she said, was to use simple visual cues to express the deeper and underlying meaning of the story.