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Rima Das
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Rima Das is an Indian filmmaker[1] best known for her 2017 film Village Rockstars, which won several national and international awards[2][3] and became India's official entry for the 90th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.[4][5] Chosen out of 28 other entries in India, it was also the first Assamese film to be submitted for Oscars.[4] The film won India's National Award for Best Film and Best Editor.[6]

Key Information

In 2018, GQ India named Das as one of the 50 most influential young Indians of 2018.[7] She is also one of the Brand Ambassadors of Toronto International Film Festival's Share Her Journey campaign that champions the cause of gender equality in cinema.[8][9][10] She has been on the jury of Berlin International Film Festival Generation 14plus, Mumbai International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and Zlin Film Festival for Children & Youth.[11][12][13][14]

A doctorate degree was conferred to Rima Das at the 3rd convocation of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKSHOU) held at the Srimanta Sankardeva International Auditorium in February 2018.[15]

Career

[edit]

Das made her first short film, Pratha, in 2009.[1] She started work on her first feature film Antardrishti (Man with the Binoculars), shot with a Canon DSLR camera in Kalardiya, in 2013.[1] In 2016, Antardrishti was screened at the Mumbai Film Festival, and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.[16][17][18]

She became known as a one-woman crew, writing, directing, producing, editing, and shooting a film, besides handling art direction and costume designing. Das is not trained in any aspect of filmmaking.[1] This, she believes has turned out to be a boon for her career:

The fact that I am not trained and I didn't go to a film school in a way helped me to explore more and to be true to my vision. Be it the writing, direction, cinematography or editing, I didn't follow a method trained professionals would. I could understand my craft better and create my own kind of cinema. Watching world cinema inspired me and gave me a perspective of global filmmaking. But I think having my own unique style helped me stand out.[19]

Her second feature film, Village Rockstars (2017),[20] which won several national and international awards.[21][2][3] The film—written, directed, edited, and produced by Das[22]—was India's official entry for the 90th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.[4][5] The film, chosen out of 28 other entries in India, is also the first Assamese film to be submitted for Oscar consideration.[4] She won India's National Award for Best Film and Best Editor, announced on 13 April 2018 by a Government of India appointed jury headed by filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor.[6] Village Rockstars is the second Assamese film to get national recognition after Jahnu Barua's Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai (The Catastrophe).[1] The film traces the story of Dhunu, a girl from a village in Assam who dreams of owning a guitar and forming a rock band.

Her 2018 film, Bulbul Can Sing, was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.[23][24] That year, GQ India named Das as one of the 50 most influential young Indians of 2018.[7] A doctorate degree has been conferred to Rima Das at the 3rd convocation of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKSHOU) held at the Srimanta Sankardeva International Auditorium in February 2018.[15]

She directed a short film called For Each Other in 2019,[25] which premiered at the 3rd Pingyao International Film Festival, and directed her first documentary fiction film, Sunshine Dreamers.[26][27]

In 2022, her new film Tora’s Husband will have its World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, where it is selected to compete in the Platform section. It is the first Indian film to be showcased in the category. Rima Das talks about her journey making the film, "In the midst of loss, lockdowns and life, we shot the film over two years in real locations and natural conditions. Shooting this film was more challenging than shooting my previous films because the pandemic restricts you in many ways. There was this constant feeling of fear and restlessness, which my characters also depict. But I knew I just had to shoot this film, as this time will become history one day".[28]

Influences

[edit]

As a filmmaker, she is influenced by master filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Ingmar Bergman, and Majid Majidi.[29]

Personal life

[edit]

Das hails from the village Kalardiya near Chhaygaon in Assam, 50 km southwest of Guwahati.[19] She is the daughter of a teacher. She cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) after her Masters in Sociology at Pune University.[19] But the desire to be an actor took her to Mumbai in 2003. She acted in plays, including an adaptation of Premchand's Godaan staged at the Prithvi Theatre.[19]

Filmography

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Rima Das

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Rima Das is an independent Indian filmmaker from Assam, specializing in self-written, self-directed, self-produced, and often self-cinematographed feature films that depict unvarnished rural existence in Northeast India using local non-professional casts. Her debut narrative feature Village Rockstars (2017), centered on a young girl's aspirations in a riverside village, earned the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) at India's 65th National Film Awards for Best Feature Film in Assamese, along with selection as India's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 91st Academy Awards. Follow-up films including Bulbul Can Sing (2018), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the Golden Gateway Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival, and Village Rockstars 2 (2024), which secured the Kim Jiseok Award at Busan and a best director prize at the New York Indian Film Festival, have screened at over 120 global festivals, highlighting Das's focus on indigenous narratives of adolescence, family dynamics, and environmental challenges in isolated communities.

Early Life and Background

Childhood in Rural Assam

Rima Das was born on May 13, 1981, in Kalardiya, a village near Chhaygaon in Assam's Kamrup district, approximately 50 kilometers southwest of Guwahati. She grew up in this rural riverside community along the Kolohi River, where agriculture and seasonal floods shaped daily life. Das was the eldest child of Bharat Chandra Das, a teacher who founded and headed the Chhaygaon Champak Nagar Girls’ High School, and Jaya Das, recognized as the area's first female business owner for operating a bookstore and . She had two younger brothers and experienced a disciplined upbringing that prioritized academic excellence, with expectations to rank first in her class. Her childhood was marked by tomboyish independence and immersion in the natural surroundings; she frequently fished in the river, climbed trees, and constructed rafts from banana trunks to navigate floods. Das also participated in school plays, fostering an early affinity for performance amid a community that valued and teaching as core professions. These experiences in rural , characterized by resourcefulness and closeness to nature, later informed the authentic depictions in her films.

Education and Early Interests

Rima Das was born on May 13, 1981, in Chaygaon, a rural area of Assam, India, into an academically oriented family; her father worked as a teacher. She completed her undergraduate education with honors at Cotton College (now Cotton University) in Guwahati, Assam. Following this, Das pursued a Master's degree in Sociology at Pune University, where she cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET), qualifying her for lectureship or further academic pursuits such as professorship. Despite her strong academic foundation and eligibility for a scholarly career, Das's early interests gravitated toward the , particularly . She opted against academia, instead moving to to train and work as an actor, reflecting a deliberate shift from her family's intellectual environment to creative expression in cinema. This pursuit marked the beginning of her engagement with filmmaking, though she remained self-taught in directing and production techniques.

Transition to Filmmaking

Initial Pursuits in Mumbai

After completing her bachelor's degree in , Das relocated to in 2003 with the ambition of establishing a career as an . Her early efforts included participating in theatrical plays, though she encountered significant hurdles, such as prolonged and repetitive audition processes that led to disillusionment. Despite her family's academic background and her own qualification for the (NET) for university lecturing positions, Das prioritized her artistic aspirations over a professorial path. During her approximately two-year stay in , Das gained exposure to diverse , which shifted her focus toward filmmaking as a means of creative expression. This period also marked her initial involvement in film editing, providing practical experience in the industry beyond . Ultimately, these experiences in , combined with a sense of disconnection from urban commercial cinema, prompted her return to around 2005, where she began self-directed projects rooted in her rural origins.

Return to Assam and Self-Taught Beginnings

After pursuing acting opportunities in without success, Rima Das returned to her village in to embark on filmmaking, drawing inspiration from the works of . There, she self-financed and shot her debut feature Man with the Binoculars (Antardrishti) in 2016, utilizing a small crew and handling directing, , editing, and acting roles herself. The film, set in rural , premiered in the First Feature Competition at the that year, marking her initial foray into narrative storytelling rooted in local experiences. Lacking formal training, Das acquired filmmaking skills primarily through YouTube tutorials and hands-on observation during production, experimenting with available equipment like DSLR cameras under real-time, natural conditions. This self-reliant approach stemmed from her realization, upon returning home, of the disconnect she felt in urban pursuits, prompting a shift toward authentic depictions of village life without reliance on professional infrastructure or budgets. Her method emphasized minimal intervention, allowing non-professional actors from the community to perform in familiar settings, which fostered an unpolished realism in her early work. This phase established Das's signature solo production technique, where she managed nearly all creative and technical elements to maintain narrative integrity and cultural specificity, free from external commercial pressures. By prioritizing personal resources and local talent over institutional support, she overcame logistical challenges in Assam's remote areas, laying the groundwork for subsequent independent projects.

Professional Career

Debut Projects and Early Recognition

Rima Das's entry into feature filmmaking came with Antardrishti (English title: Man with the Binoculars), her debut full-length project initiated in 2013. Shot entirely in the rural village of Kalardiya, , using a Canon DSLR camera, the film centers on a retired teacher whose worldview expands after receiving a pair of , symbolizing newfound observation of his surroundings. Das managed all aspects of production—including writing, directing, , and —solo, embodying her resource-constrained, self-reliant methodology developed without formal training. Antardrishti premiered internationally in the First Feature Competition at the in November 2016, followed by a screening at the MAMI Film Festival. These festival selections marked Das's initial recognition on global and domestic circuits, drawing attention to her intimate portrayal of Assamese village life and unconventional production process. While the film did not secure major awards, its competition entry at underscored early validation from industry programmers for an independent debut outside mainstream Bollywood structures. Prior to this feature, Das's filmmaking began with shorter experimental works, including the 2009 short Pratha, which explored personal and cultural themes and honed her technical skills in low-budget narrative construction. These early shorts, produced amid her transition from back to , laid foundational experience for her feature aspirations, emphasizing authentic rural narratives over commercial viability. The modest visibility from Antardrishti's festival run positioned Das as a promising voice in regional Indian cinema, paving the way for subsequent projects.

Breakthrough with Village Rockstars (2017)


Village Rockstars (2017) represented Rima Das's emergence as a prominent independent filmmaker, achieving international acclaim through its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2017. Das single-handedly managed writing, directing, producing, cinematography, and editing for the film, employing non-professional actors from her native Assam and shooting over three and a half years with approximately 130 shooting days to capture seasonal variations. The production operated on a modest budget slightly over $100,000, emphasizing natural locations and minimal crew to reflect authentic rural life. The story follows 10-year-old Dhunu, the daughter of a widowed mother in a remote Assamese village, as she dreams of owning an and forming a rock band with her male friends, challenging traditional expectations amid and floods. Following its festival debut, the film screened at over 70 international events, including , , , , and Göteborg, garnering praise for its unscripted, observational style and genuine portrayal of childhood aspirations. Critics highlighted the film's strong character development and visual authenticity, attributing its impact to Das's immersive, solo approach rather than polished production values. In , received a theatrical release on September 28, 2018, after building momentum through festivals. It secured four National Film Awards in 2018, including the Swarna Kamal for Best Feature Film in Assamese, Best Editing for Das, Best Child Artist for lead actress Bhanita Das, and Best Sound Recordist for Mallika Das, underscoring its technical and artistic merits despite the low-budget constraints. The film was selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the in 2019, though it did not receive a nomination, marking a significant in elevating Assamese cinema's global visibility. Overall, these achievements established Das's reputation for resourceful, theme-driven filmmaking focused on underrepresented rural narratives.

Post-2017 Films: Bulbul Can Sing (2018) and Tora's Husband (2022)

Bulbul Can Sing, released in 2018, marked Rima Das's second feature film and continued her exploration of rural Assamese life through a coming-of-age narrative centered on a teenage girl named Bulbul and her friends navigating adolescence, sexual awakening, and patriarchal constraints in a village setting. The film premiered in the Contemporary World Cinema section of the Toronto International Film Festival and employs Das's signature non-professional casting and observational style to depict everyday rituals alongside personal tragedies that test the protagonists' resilience. Critics praised its intimate, naturalistic portrayal of shame, growth, and quiet defiance, with a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on limited reviews, though some noted its vignette-like structure as occasionally fragmented. It received the Prag Cine Award for Best Film and Best Actor (for Manoranjan Das) in 2019. Tora's Husband, Das's third feature released in 2022, shifts focus to a middle-aged in a small Assamese town whose family and business unravel amid the , personal bereavement, and lockdown-induced isolation, examining strains in his marriage and community ties. World premiered at the International Film Festival's Platform section and later screened at , the film adopts a documentary-esque, slow-burn approach to capture economic hardships seeping into emotional dynamics, emphasizing themes of sacrifice and relational fragility without overt melodrama. Reception highlighted its austerity and emotional depth in depicting quiet despair and resilience, earning an 8.3/10 average on from modest viewings, though some critiques described its pacing as meandering and overly patient, potentially diluting dramatic tension. No major awards were reported, but it reinforced Das's reputation for authentic, low-budget portrayals of Northeast Indian struggles.

Recent Works Including Village Rockstars 2 (2024)

Village Rockstars 2, released in 2024, serves as a sequel to Rima Das's 2017 film Village Rockstars, continuing the story of protagonist Dhunu, portrayed by Bhanita Das, now depicted as a 17-year-old navigating the transition to adulthood in rural Assam. Das handled multiple roles in its creation, including directing, writing, producing, cinematography, and editing, maintaining her signature independent approach with a focus on authentic village life, music, and personal aspirations amid socioeconomic challenges. The film explores Dhunu's persistent dream of forming a rock band while confronting realities such as family pressures and limited opportunities, emphasizing themes of resilience and self-discovery. The film had its world premiere at the 29th on October 4, 2024, in the Kim Jiseok section, where it received the Kim Jiseok Award for its portrayal of youthful determination. Its European premiere occurred at the 75th in February 2025, competing in the Generation 14plus section, highlighting Das's continued emphasis on naturalistic storytelling without professional actors. Subsequent screenings included festivals such as the and the Indian Film Festival of , underscoring its international appeal within indie cinema circuits. In addition to Village Rockstars 2, Das contributed a segment to the 2024 anthology film My Melbourne, directing the story of Emma, a young ballet dancer grappling with Usher's Syndrome, an inherited condition causing progressive hearing and vision loss. This 20-minute episode, part of a collaborative project with directors Onir, Imtiaz Ali, and Kabir Khan, premiered at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in August 2024 and received a theatrical release in India on March 14, 2025, focusing on themes of identity and belonging in a multicultural setting. No other feature-length films by Das were released between 2022 and 2024, aligning with her deliberate, self-financed production pace.

Cinematic Style and Methodology

Solo Production Techniques

Rima Das adopts a self-reliant production approach, personally managing directing, , , production design, and often co-production across her films, minimizing crew involvement to maintain creative control and reduce costs. This method stems from her self-taught background, where she acquired skills through online resources like tutorials rather than formal training. In (2017), Das executed the entire production solo, filming over 130 days across three and a half years using a handheld Canon to capture unscripted, naturalistic footage in rural settings. She cast non-professional local villagers, including her niece Bhanita Das in the lead role, and prioritized extended shooting periods—sometimes up to 10 days per scene—to achieve authentic performances without rehearsed blocking or artificial lighting. was handled by Das herself, focusing on a meditative pace that mirrors the deliberate, slow camera movements observed in her work. This technique extends to subsequent projects like Bulbul Can Sing (2018) and Tora's Husband (2022), where Das continues to self-shoot in real-time village environments with minimal equipment, funding productions independently through her banner Flying River Films to avoid external dependencies. While she has occasionally incorporated small-scale collaborations for sound or specific shots in later films, the core process remains hands-on, emphasizing organic bonding with subjects and locations over technical polish. Das has shared practical advice for such low-budget endeavors, advocating patience in capturing genuine moments and leveraging personal resources to sustain extended timelines.

Recurrent Themes and Narrative Approach

Rima Das's films consistently portray the textures of rural life in Assam's , emphasizing the interplay between human endurance and natural forces, such as annual floods that reshape communities and livelihoods. Her narratives highlight the innocence and resilience of village youth amid economic hardships, as exemplified by protagonists pursuing personal dreams—like forming a rock band in (2017) or navigating adolescent confusions in Bulbul Can Sing (2018)—while underscoring themes of adaptation and universal aspirations. serves as a recurrent motif, often functioning as a spiritual and narrative canvas that mirrors characters' inner worlds and the region's pristine yet precarious landscapes. Gender dynamics and women's experiences emerge organically across her work, reflecting Das's advocacy for a "female gaze" that portrays women with authenticity, including their complexities as both victims and enforcers of societal norms. In films like Tora's Husband (2022), she examines marital strains and empowerment without overt preaching, allowing issues such as restrictions on female freedom and intergenerational conflicts to surface through character-driven realism rather than didacticism. Themes of friendship, teenage love, and familial bonds, particularly mother-daughter ties, further underscore a humanist lens on equality and personal growth amid conservative traditions. Das employs a minimalist approach rooted in docu-fiction, capturing slice-of-life authenticity through non-professional actors, ambient sounds, and observational long takes in unaltered village settings like Chaygaon, . Her solo methodology—encompassing writing, directing, , and editing—prioritizes solitude to harness and moments, evolving from zero-budget origins to refined techniques while preserving emotional depth over commercial dictates. This self-reliant style, informed by personal observations and subtle integration of social critiques, fosters believable portrayals that prioritize cultural specificity and universal resonance.

Influences from Regional and Global Cinema

Das's cinematic approach draws significantly from the parallel cinema tradition in , particularly the works of , whose films depicting rural life and human resilience resonated deeply with her. In interviews, she has stated that viewing Ray's films inspired her to return to her village and create stories rooted in authentic Assamese settings, mirroring Ray's emphasis on non-professional and naturalistic narratives in films like (1955). This regional influence manifests in her focus on everyday rural existence, using minimalistic storytelling to explore socio-cultural realities without overt dramatization. On the global front, Das has expressed admiration for Iranian filmmakers such as and , whose neo-realist techniques—employing long takes, ambient sound, and child protagonists—shaped her observational style and commitment to unscripted performances. She credits these influences for her integration of documentary-like elements into fiction, prioritizing emotional authenticity over polished production values. Additionally, Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai's visual lyricism, particularly his use of lighting and color to evoke mood, has informed Das's , as seen in the evocative landscapes and intimate framing in her films. Further global inspirations include Ingmar Bergman's introspective character studies and Terrence Malick's poetic naturalism, which encouraged Das to blend personal introspection with environmental immersion, allowing nature to drive narrative rhythm rather than dialogue-heavy exposition. These eclectic influences, encountered through international film festivals and self-study, underscore her hybrid methodology: grounding regional Assamese themes in universal humanist concerns while eschewing commercial tropes.

Reception, Awards, and Critiques

Critical Acclaim and International Exposure

Village Rockstars (2017) premiered at the (TIFF) in the , where it received praise for its authentic depiction of rural Assamese life and the protagonist's aspirations. Critics described it as an "unshowy winner" that wowed festival audiences worldwide with its minimalist approach and non-sentimental portrayal of poverty and dreams. Selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the in 2019, the film garnered international attention despite not securing a nomination, with reviewers in outlets like hailing it for proving the Oscars' oversight in overlooking such lyrical rural narratives. Bulbul Can Sing (2018), Das's follow-up, also premiered at TIFF in 2018, earning acclaim for its sensitive exploration of adolescence and gender dynamics in conservative rural settings. The film screened at major festivals including the Berlin International Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, and London Indian Film Festival, where it won multiple awards and was lauded for its intimate, realistic storytelling without overt didacticism. International critics appreciated its departure from Bollywood tropes, focusing on raw performances and subtle social commentary, contributing to Das's growing reputation as a voice for underrepresented regional Indian cinema. Subsequent works like Tora's Husband (2022) and (2024) extended her international footprint, with the latter premiering at the in October 2024 and screening at the 75th in February 2025. At the 25th New York Indian Film Festival in June 2025, Das won Best Director for , underscoring sustained critical favor for her evolution in themes of maturity and cultural continuity. Reviews highlighted the sequel's contemplative fidelity to her signature style, reinforcing her acclaim as an independent filmmaker bridging local authenticity with global appeal.

Major Awards and Nominations

Rima Das has received two National Film Awards from the Government of India for her feature films. Her debut film Village Rockstars (2017) won the Swarna Kamal Award for Best Feature Film in the Assamese language category and the Silver Lotus Award for Best Editing at the 65th National Film Awards in 2018. Bulbul Can Sing (2018) earned the National Award for Best Feature Film in Assamese at the 66th National Film Awards in 2019. Village Rockstars was selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards in 2019, though it did not receive a nomination. Internationally, Das's works have garnered recognition at major festivals. Village Rockstars received the Golden Gateway Award for Best Film in the India Gold category at the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2018. Bulbul Can Sing won Best Director in the Dublin Film Critics Circle category at the Dublin International Film Festival in 2020 and a special mention at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in 2019. It also secured the Golden Conch for Best Feature Film at the Mumbai Film Festival in 2018. For Tora's Husband (2022), Das was nominated for Best Director at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2023. The film swept the inaugural Filmfare Awards Assamese in 2024, winning Best Film, Best Director (Das), Best Actor (Female), Best Actor (Child), and Best Screenplay. Village Rockstars 2 (2024) won Best Director for Das at the New York Indian Film Festival in June 2025 and the International Feature Film Competition for Women Directors at the Internationales Frauen Film Fest Dortmund/Köln in April 2025.
FilmAwardYearCategory/Notes
Village RockstarsNational Film Award (Swarna Kamal)2018Best Feature Film (Assamese)
Village RockstarsNational Film Award (Silver Lotus)2018Best Editing
Bulbul Can SingNational Film Award2019Best Feature Film (Assamese)
Tora's HusbandAsia Pacific Screen Awards2023Best Director (Nomination)
Village Rockstars 2New York Indian Film Festival2025Best Director

Criticisms and Limitations in Approach

Some reviewers have critiqued the deliberate slow pace and observational style in Das's films as occasionally meandering or drawn-out, potentially testing viewer patience despite their immersive intent. For example, Tora's Husband (2022) has been described as a "meandering third feature" with minimal stylistic evolution from prior works, emphasizing a documentary-like unfolding that prioritizes naturalism over tighter narrative drive. Similarly, the film's languid structure has been noted to feel drawn-out at times, lacking distinct plot progression in favor of interior emotional pastiche. In Bulbul Can Sing (2018), the first half's loose, meandering pace has been identified as a flaw before a sharper turn later, highlighting how the unhurried rhythm can dilute momentum. This approach, while rooted in Das's solo methodology of capturing unscripted village life with non-professional actors, can border on undramatic or unstructured, as seen in Village Rockstars (2017), where the offhand storytelling verges on documentary territory and proves "unsentimental to a fault," possibly limiting deeper emotional catharsis or conventional tension. Critics have also pointed to inconsistencies in thematic execution, such as uneven depictions of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tora's Husband, where the observational lens amplifies personal struggles but overlooks broader societal disruptions. Das's repetitive thematic focus on rural Assamese adolescence and gender dynamics across films, though authentic, risks stylistic stagnation without significant formal innovation, constraining broader appeal beyond festival circuits. The self-financed, one-person crew model imposes inherent technical limitations, including variable and under resource constraints, which, while enhancing raw realism, may appear unpolished compared to higher-budget productions. Non-professional casts drawn from local communities yield naturalistic portrayals but can result in performances that strain under narrative demands requiring nuanced subtlety. These elements underscore a in Das's : profound regional specificity at the expense of universal dramatic polish or scalability.

Personal Life and Philosophy

Family Background and Residences

Rima Das was born on May 13, 1981, in Chaygaon, a town near Guwahati in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. She spent her early years in the rural village of Kalardiya within Chaygaon, where the natural surroundings and community life profoundly influenced her worldview and later artistic choices. Das hails from an academically oriented family, which initially steered her toward a potential career in academia, nearly culminating in a professorship before she pivoted to creative pursuits. This background instilled in her a disciplined approach to learning, evident in her self-taught mastery of filmmaking despite lacking formal training in the field. In pursuit of acting opportunities, Das relocated to , India's entertainment hub, where she eventually transitioned into independent filmmaking while maintaining strong roots in . She now divides her time between , her primary base for professional activities, and , which serves as both a personal anchor and frequent filming location for her works centered on rural Assamese life.

Views on Indian Society, Gender, and Independent Cinema

Das has critiqued the materialism and superficiality of urban Indian life, particularly in Mumbai, which she experienced as a form of "culture shock" after immersing herself in its environment, preferring instead the simplicity, community support, and shared values of rural Assam villages where residents maintain basic desires and mutual care. Her films incorporate social commentary on rural existence, portraying authentic village dynamics without didacticism, as seen in depictions of economic hardships and communal bonds in works like Village Rockstars. Regarding gender, Das maintains that women's challenges in India emerge organically in her narratives rather than through explicit advocacy, stating, "I don’t believe in shoving feminist issues in anyone’s face. I’d rather present them subtly, through organic visuals, for better understanding." She identifies patriarchy as deeply entrenched in societal mindsets, conditioning people to view women in leadership roles—such as directors—with discomfort and stereotypes, though she acknowledges supportive male colleagues exist. Das advocates incorporating the "female gaze" to authentically depict women's experiences, including complex characters who pursue ambitions free from rigid norms, as exemplified by protagonists like Dhunu, who defies traditional expectations by engaging in activities like tree-climbing and swimming typically reserved for boys. She urges women to cultivate self-belief over reliance on external validation and highlights persistent barriers like safety concerns during night shoots or remote filming, which necessitate male escorts. On independent cinema, Das emphasizes its demands, including shoestring budgets, tight timelines, and basic equipment, which test filmmakers' resilience, as with Village Rockstars 2 spanning four years amid funding delays. Visibility remains a core hurdle despite festival acclaim, requiring producers focused on artistic merit over quick profits to sustain regional voices like those from . Self-taught and operating with minimal crews, often using non-professional after extensive workshops, she promotes inclusive practices to capture realistic relationships and Northeast Indian perspectives, fostering broader opportunities for underrepresented talents.

Complete Filmography

Feature Films

Rima Das's feature films, primarily set in rural Assam, emphasize naturalistic storytelling drawn from local communities, with Das handling writing, directing, cinematography, and editing for most projects. Her debut, Man with the Binoculars (Antardrishti) (2016), follows a retired geography teacher in a small Assamese village whose routine life disrupts after receiving binoculars from his son, prompting reflections on isolation and observation. Shot on a modest budget, the film premiered at international festivals like Tallinn Black Nights, highlighting Das's early exploration of introspective rural narratives. Das's breakthrough, Village Rockstars (2017), centers on 10-year-old Dhunu, a girl in a riverside village aspiring to form a rock band despite poverty and gender norms, capturing her imagination through non-professional actors from the location. Produced independently under Flying River Films, the 87-minute film employs a documentary-like style to depict daily struggles like floods and social expectations. In Bulbul Can Sing (2018), Das portrays the coming-of-age of teenager Bulbul and her friends in rural Assam, navigating first love, loss, and sexual awakening amid village traditions. Filmed with a small crew using local talent, including Das's cousin Arnali Das as Bulbul, the 95-minute drama premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, underscoring themes of resilience and identity without scripted dialogue in many scenes. Tora's Husband (2022), Das's third feature, examines a small-town father's efforts to sustain his restaurant during COVID-19 lockdowns, intertwined with marital strains and personal grief. Shot during the pandemic with a fuller crew, the film reflects real-time societal disruptions in Assam, premiering at TIFF and emphasizing quiet emotional disintegration. Village Rockstars 2 (2024), a sequel revisiting Dhunu as a late teen, tracks her persistence in guitar-playing and rock aspirations amid growing responsibilities and village life, maintaining the original's cast like Bhanita Das. Co-produced with Singaporean partners, the 106-minute film world-premiered at the Busan International Film Festival before screening at Berlinale 2025, extending Das's focus on longitudinal character evolution in underserved regional contexts.

Short Films and Documentaries

Rima Das began her filmmaking career with the Pratha in 2009, marking her debut as a self-taught director focused on rural Assamese narratives. The explored themes involving children and received selections at multiple international festivals, which provided early validation for her independent approach. In 2019, Das directed For Each Other, a 23-minute short film segment within the BRICS anthology Neighbors, produced under the auspices of filmmakers from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The story centers on Malti, an earnest shop owner, and Ramen, a flamboyant tempo driver, whose interactions highlight everyday connections in a quaint Assamese setting. It had its world premiere at the Pingyao International Film Festival in October 2019 and later screened at the 19th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in 2021. Das also directed the documentary History Illuminates the Future: My Museum Story in 2023, a collaborative production involving the five BRICS nations and launched at the BRICS summit that year. The film examines how local museums across these countries preserve and reflect cultural diversity through historical artifacts and narratives.

References

  1. https://www.asiapacificscreenawards.com/apsa-academy-members/rima-das
  2. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8217048/
  3. https://www.rimadas.com/village-rockstars
  4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7297966/awards/
  5. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8217048/awards/
  6. https://www.berlinale.de/en/2025/programme/202506997.html
  7. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8217048/bio/
  8. https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/who-is-rima-das/article23712435.ece
  9. https://w.wmfindia.com/publication/rima-das-director-village-rockstars-film-about-a-one-woman-band
  10. https://www.financialexpress.com/life/entertainment-heres-is-how-this-assamese-filmmaker-took-her-movie-to-cannes-film-market-this-year-689126/
  11. https://scroll.in/reel/852980/in-assamese-film-village-rockstars-a-10-year-old-girl-dreams-of-owning-an-electric-guitar
  12. https://assets.ctfassets.net/22n7d68fswlw/5yhv7ImjU33s3YJYd3tbWe/91e5a5718b9dbf56594e028371584286/VR_press_kit_final.pdf
  13. https://www.sohohouse.com/house-notes/issue-005/film-and-entertainment/360-me--rima-das
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  50. https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/talking-point/meet-the-one-woman-army-behind-village-rockstars-111646977627223.html
  51. https://thebetterindia.com/225732/rima-das-assam-village-rockstars-oscars-cannes-film-national-award-india-nor41/
  52. https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/low-tech-high-drama-filmmakers-forego-heavy-gear-for-lighter-tighter-tales/story-rpwnCVTJBpKxjoztPQjq5I.html
  53. https://variety.com/2023/film/asia/rima-das-busan-apm-malati-my-love-1235746962/
  54. https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/feature/2025-03-01-rima-das-on-bringing-sequel-village-rockstars-2-to-the-screen-feature-story-by-amber-wilkinson
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  58. https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2025/03/08/we-need-to-bring-the-female-gaze-into-our-film-filmmaker-rima-das-interview.html
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