There were so many other entries for the category of foreign language films. Amongst those, it’s an Assamese film called Village Rockstars that has gotten a chance to shine. It has gone on to become India’s official Oscar entry in this category. The movie has gotten this honor over 29 other films. The cinema Village Rockstars is by Rima Das and is going to be sent as an entry to the coveted 2019 Oscars.It was announced at a press conference on Saturday by Film Federation of India. The federation is under the chairmanship of the Kannada producer Rajendra Singh Babu. An all India jury was constituted by the federation which has resulted in this outcome. Other films vying for the position were Raazi, Padmavat, Hichki, October, Love Sonia, 102 not out and Pihu amongst others.
About Filmmaker Rima Das
Self-taught filmmaker Rima Das had just arrived home when she received a call with the news. She had just gotten to her home in Kalardiva which is a village in Assam and was busy with the preparations for the release of Village Rockstar on September 28th. Rima Das was overjoyed with the news and said to Sunday Express, “Thank you, thank you, thank you! There isn’t much to say, but this is probably the day I had been waiting for all my life,” She also mentioned that she had hints about the news but didn’t say anything since it was too early. But she calls the day she received the call the happiest day of her life. She happened to be at home and got a chance to celebrate the good news with friends, family and the cast of the film. The cast includes children who learned acting under an open sky. It’s the same sky that Rima Das grew up under as a tomboy.She alwaysused to scale trees with the village boys. There wasn’t much scope when it came to films or filmmaking in her village. However, through persistence and learning through videos, Rima taught herself Filmmaking. She moved to Mumbai in 2003 to pursue this dream further.
About the film
The movie was made over a period of four years and was shot on a hand-held camera. It was shot with a minimal budget in rural Assam. The casts include non-professional actors and child actors who learned acting under stars. Most of the cast are locally sourced children from Kalariya Village. The film has been named an as the Best Feature Film at the 65th National Film Awards too. Revolving around a story of a 10-year-old girl named Dhunu who goes in search of an electric guitar, the movie gives a sad look into the reality of villages in rural Assam. It also shows you the state of the flood-ravaged life of villagers in Assam. The movie also clearly showcases poor children who are amazing. The film sheds light on specific issues and creates awareness regarding them. It also proves to the villagers that they too should pursue their dreams and not give up. Rima Das said, “It is a big deal because when you don’t receive recognition, you tend to feel things are not possible. It stops people from trying. I hope this inspires many young people.”
