Interview: Director Rima Das On Her film Village Rockstars Being Chosen For Oscars

Its not every day that you make an unsuspecting movie straight from your heart and are greeted by the news that your film is your country's official entry to Osc

Well, with the news of Village Rockstars, a sweet story about aspiring kids in a small village in North East India, was enough to make many sit back and take note of this simple movie.

Director Rima Das understandably is on cloud nine currently. Her National Award winning Assamese feature, Village Rockstars is India's official submission for the Best Foreign Language category at the Oscars.

Village Rockstars is the story of Dhunu, a girl who grows up in poverty and learns to fend for herself. However, that does not prevent her from following her dream of forming a rock band and owning a guitar someday. Most of the cast members of the film are non-actors including Rima Das' niece Bhanita who plays Dhunu and the other kids who hail from Das' native village in Assam.

The film which had it's World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival and India Premiere at Mumbai Film Festival 2018 has screened in more than 70 prestigious international and national film festivals and won 44 awards including 4 National Awards (Best Feature, Best Editing, Audiography and Child Artist)

Director Rima Das talks about her excitement about the films' journey and cannot not contain her joy. Das who is also the director-cinematographer-editor-producer of the movie says, "I have been waiting for this day and praying! Luckily, I got this news in my village at Chhayagaon, Assam (I arrived last night) I am glad that I am with my family and the cast of the film. Otherwise, a news like this, if you are alone in some far off land, could put you off the balance! Although I have been jumping around uncontrollably and creating all sorts of a nuisance. I still can't believe that our film is India's Oscar entry. I am pinching myself, screaming shouting with joy"

On who does she credit with for this immense acceptance of the movie, she says, "We are totally overwhelmed by the announcement that Village Rockstars is India's official entry to Oscar this year. I am so grateful to the selection committee for believing in our film."

Until now only three films have made it till the last round and were, as a result, nominated in the foreign language film category - Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957), Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay! (1988), and Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan (2001).

The award-winning film will be released on 28th September 2018 in Assam.

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