Rima Das on ‘Village Rockstars 2’ and the state of independent cinema

The green fields, golden hour charms and a young girl’s musical dreams are back again in Rima Das’ Village Rockstars 2. A sequel to her 2017 Assamese coming-of-age drama (which was selected as India’s official entry to Oscars that year), the film recently found a limited theatrical release after its premiere at the 29th Busan International Film Festival in October 2024. The delay was caused by multiple factors, including the accidental death of singer Zubeen Garg last September. “He is a hearthrob and his death changed everything. Everyone was grieving in Assam. It affected us greatly,” Rima says.

After having screened the film at multiple festivals and special events, Rima decided to release it in Assam on March 6 this year. She had just returned from the world premiere of her film, Not a Hero at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival and felt that it was a good time to take Village Rockstars 2 to theatres. In retrospect, however, Rima feels that she should not have released the film only in Assam.

“I did it because I was really tired,” Rima says. “I also love to visit theatres, meet people and celebrate the film with them. That’s when I thought I should take the film to other cities too. But I just don’t have the energy now to do it all over again. From next time, I will release it pan-India.”

The filmmaker says the experience of releasing the film taught her how things operate on ground. “Earlier, I used to just go with the flow and not think too much about marketing. But I learnt that it is important to work on that while releasing a film,” she says, adding how the long monsoon in Assam also affects the release window. “To find the correct time to release an independent film is crucial as is having a good team and marketing budget. If you don’t have anything viral or controversial, then it becomes difficult to get the theatrical slot.”

Rima’s voice is the antithesis of spectacle filmmaking. With barely anything written on paper, she focuses on capturing smaller moments in rural Assam, whether it is showing kids daydreaming while resting on the branches of a tree in Village Rockstars or underlining innocence when the protagonist Dhunu (Bhanita Das) touches her head to that of a goat as sun sets in distance in Village Rockstars 2.

Rima says she loves observing everyday life in nature. “It is important in life to see, feel and pause; to have the patience to listen and understand. We should be listening to what nature needs from us when it is continuously giving us unconditionally.”

At the same time, Rima is mindful about the tone of her films that is reflected through the duration of a scene. If Village Rockstars had long sequences of characters interacting with nature, with the sequel, Rima chose to have a sharper edit with a different pace to the proceedings. Being the director, cinematographer and editor of her films, she makes these choices without compromising with her vision. She reveals having an early cut of Village Rockstars that extended for 160 minutes.

“Many people found that cut to be better,” she smiles. “You want to keep a lot of things but some of them might not work with the audiences. I take that call accordingly and edit my films ruthlessly. It often happens that a scene that took four or five days to shoot needs to be removed on edit. It is a hard choice but you can’t help it. What also matters is my intention. If I want to make a film about nature, then I don’t think about how many people will watch it.”

Although Rima does not think of a target audience while making her films, she gravitates more towards telling stories of children and young adults. The filmmaker says she realised the universal appeal of her films later. “When I made Village Rockstars, I thought it’s a children’s film but I realised it is for everyone. I also felt it was only for the international market but people loved it even in India.”

Rima says she makes children’s films as there are not enough stories that speak for them. “I love this generation and I want them to watch my films. There’s no lesson in them, I just want them to feel what I felt.”

Another film from the Northeast featuring a child protagonist, Boong, became the first Indian film to win an honour at 79th British Academy Film Awards. Along with that, Angh, made by Nagaland-based filmmaker Theja Rio, won the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival on 15 September 2026. Rima calls it a great achievement, congratulating the filmmakers for “putting Northeast India on the world map”. At the same time, Rima notes the struggle of making independent films.

“I don’t know how everyone is raising funds and taking individual journeys. We need State support to tell these stories from our region,” she says while agreeing that the Northeast region cannot be put under one umbrella. “It is a big region. Only Assam has an industry, which is also not well established. Most people in the industry are working for less income, making movies without knowing what’s going to happen to them. The condition is worse in other States with negligible theatres. When some films do well, it gives hope. But where are we headed in practical terms?”

Rima cites examples of international children’s film festivals, which build a culture of movie watching. “Six or seven year old kids are watching world-class films and developing a taste for a different kind of cinema. But we don’t have as many children film festivals in India. Is it hard to do? Not at all. We just need consistent effort. . There’s a lot of talk but little reflects on ground level due to which an entire community of filmmakers are facing problems.”

Rima urges film enthusiasts, filmmakers and authorities to come together and work towards building a better platform to support independent movies. “I often feel upset at the situation but then I also tell myself that it is not my responsibility alone to change things. I cannot keep torturing myself; I need to keep my peace,” she says. “If you need good films, paintings or books, it is everyone’s responsibility to turn that into reality.”

Village Rockstars 2 is currently running in select cities

Published – September 28, 2026 05:51 pm IST