There is euphoria, in general, about how the film world is acknowledging that female voices have been underrepresented, and now making amends. While Cannes Film Festival, in a first, reportedly had 20 female filmmakers in its Official Selection, women directors accounted for 44% of the competition at Venice Film Festival last year, according to Variety. At the Toronto Film Festival last year, women makers were behind nearly half of the films screened.

Rohena Gera, whose film Sir toured several global film festivals before releasing in India on an OTT platform, feels such screenings give massive reassurance to filmmakers, about their product. “Film festivals are providing a great platform for voices of female filmmakers,” she adds.

“Film festivals allow films that may not necessarily be able to have a commercial platform, to be showcased,” opines filmmaker Gauri Shinde, adding, “They also look out for unique talent and it’s extremely encouraging to all kinds of filmmakers.”

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), too, saw a record number of 32 women filmmakers whose films will be screened this year. National Award-winning director Rima Das, whose film For Each Other will be screened at IFFM, is happy that a change is set in motion. “It may take another 10 years to see significant change. But, I’m happy that there is a serious attempt to see stories from a woman’s voice and perspective,” adds the Village Rockstars (2017) director.

Makers of documentaries and short films, too, are getting recognition. Director Karishma Dube, whose short film Bittu will be screened at IFFM, says, “Making a short film comes with no guarantee that it will find an audience or a platform, so for the film to find a home across the world, it’s a massive honour for me. I hope I can attend the festival in person, someday soon.”

Akriti Singh, whose directorial debut Toofaan Mail was recently named best film (youth choice) at the UK Asian Film Festival, believes such a fest is a great platform to showcase a film, especially for newcomers. “It gives validation, and back home, amplifies chances of getting potential buyers as well,” says Singh, who also stars in the film.

Actors who’ve worked in foreign films say that they sometimes do face a slight bias in Bollywood
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 31, 2020)

When A R Rahman said that his filmography in Bollywood has become sparse because of a gang spreading rumours about him, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur pointed out to that an Oscar “is the kiss of death in Bollywood”. This claim was later supported by Oscar winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty, who shared how he had gone through near breakdown as “nobody was giving me work in Hindi films and regional cinema held me tight” after he won the Oscar. So, is international acclaim really a death knell for an artiste in Bollywood?

Nimrat Kaur, who has starred in international shows such as Homeland and Wayward Pines, feels there definitely are misconceptions about actors working in West.

“Sometimes, people shy away from bringing a project to me because they think they can decide things for me. They think that because I have worked in Homeland, I won’t take up their projects. But that does not matter to me. In my case, I have to tell people that I don’t live in LA, USA and can do projects here,” she shares.

Adil Hussain, the winner of the best actor award at the Norwegian National Awards back in 2018 for What Will People Say, has done other international films such as Life of Pi, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012) and was also a guest star on the latest third season of Star Trek: Discovery. He says, “They may think, ‘oh these people are of a different league and they don’t want to work with us’. Or they may think we are too expensive or too arrogant. But nobody has asked me that since I am doing an international film, will I ever be interested in an Indian film. I work in films of all languages in India.”

While filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri does not want to delve into the statement made by Kapur and Pookutty, he believes that there is indeed a culture of isolation. “Anupam Kher went to Hollywood and he does not get much work here anymore,” he says.

But filmmaker Rima Das, whose film Village Rockstars was India’s official entry for the Oscars 2018, in the Best Foreign Language Film Category, begs to differ. “My journey is very different. I self-produced films and haven’t worked with studios yet so I can’t really say whether international acclaim hampers your chances in India. In fact, after the international acclaim people started paying more attention to my films and it opened new windows in terms of marketing and distribution for me,” she says.

Many have even contested that mediocrity will always be threatened and intimidated by brilliance and that is why many who work in the West, no longer get the kind of roles they used to in Bollywood. But trade analyst Atul Mohan does not agree with Kapur. “Global recognition can never bring any hurdles to one’s profile. And anyway, how many of international awards do we even manage to get. Don’t forget how well Irrfan was doing, in India as well as abroad,” he says.

Kabir Khan, Onir, Rima Das and Imtiaz Ali say pressing topics must be explored as they ready films for a film festival in Melbourne
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 6, 2020)

A little over a month ago, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) invited applications from filmmakers interested in collaborating with four Bollywood directors, including Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Rima Das and Onir, for the creation of a special project. Four films on the subjects of race, disability, sexuality and gender-politics will be helmed by the creators, and compiled for the making of a movie titled My Melbourne, which will première at the festival's 2021 edition, before travelling to other festivals. Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange, who is overseeing the project, has called for the creation of authentic stories of migrants' experiences.

Das tells mid-day, "It is essential for filmmakers to examine the world around them from a socio-political [lens]. The short film will allow us to present those authentic stories that often get lost in popular culture."

Growing introspective in the lockdown, people are now increasingly compassionate about social causes, says Khan, which makes the celebration of diversity, essential. "The pandemic has made evident how futile [many things] are."

Ali adds, "Viewing stories about identity is quintessential to chart our path ahead. I am looking forward to meeting new people, and understanding their stories for the screen."

Onir hopes the short films yield actionable results instead of merely triggering dialogue. "The world we live in calls for fresh discussions on inclusivity to [establish] a strong value system." While the directors will work with their teams over conference calls, they will travel to Melbourne to shoot, when restrictions are lifted.

Stranded in Mumbai since March, Village Rockstars director Rima Das to return to hometown in Assam
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 27, 2020)

With domestic flights resuming operations on Monday, National Award-winning filmmaker Rima Das is planning to return to Assam in the coming days. The Village Rockstars director, who had flown down to Mumbai in March to kick off her next with Tillotama Shome, stayed put at her Versova residence after the nationwide Coronavirus lockdown was announced.

"My family kept asking me to procure permission to travel back home, but I couldn't. Now, I can finally go back," she says. Das reveals that she stayed in touch with her family over frequent video calls. "Initially, I was missing home because we live in a joint family. Villages offer open spaces; my house has a backyard and a pond. But, I wouldn't have understood the magnitude of this lockdown if I were in Assam. I experienced the anxiety borne out of isolation during this period."

Her next, revolving around a woman dealing with a separation, was to be shot in Mumbai and Assam. "The first half is set in Mumbai. Since I shoot chronologically, I can't kick off the shoot with the second half in Assam. Then, it will be a disjointed character emotionally."

Sanskrita Bharadwaj (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 23, 2020)

Filmmaker Rima Das, whose film Village Rockstars (2017) was India’s official entry to the 91st Academy Awards, has been staying alone in Mumbai during the lockdown. “I was working on an untitled film with Tillotama Shome. More than 50% of the film was supposed to be shot in Mumbai and the rest in Assam. But now, the film is going to be on an indefinite halt. We would have had a crew with us. It looks very unlikely that shoots will begin anytime soon,” she says.

Talking about spending time on her own, Das says, she used to always like her own space “but this lockdown and Coronavirus pandemic are ‘forcing’ people to stay at home, which is increasing my anxieties about the uncertainty of things even more. How many movies can one watch now, it is getting a bit too much.”

Das wishes she was at her native place in Assam right now, but she is hopeful that she will be able to head back home soon. “We have to be hopeful in these times. That’s all we can do,” says the maker of films such as Bulbul Can Sing (2018) and Man With The Binoculars (2016).

Initially, Das who wanted to become an actor, says making her award winning film Village Rockstars was a journey of sorts for her. “I have heard people say negative things about it. But there will always be people who will say both positive and negative things. One has to be sensible enough to take something from both. When Man With The Binoculars didn’t do well, I was devastated, and I cried one day in the middle of the road, but I did not give up. I kept trying. Filmmaking is a journey. Some people are lucky, they get instant success but for others it’s a process, it’s not something that can be achieved in a day. You might even get success overnight but the effort, the dedication, the passion and the love for making films are a continuous process,” says Das who enjoys watching Majid Majidi and Andrei Tarkovsky films, and wishes to make more “realistic and experimental” films.

Prabin Kalita (BOMBAY TIMES; January 20, 2020)

Assam is preparing to host the 65th Filmfare Awards on February 15, which is taking place outside Mumbai for the first time since its inception.

What has set the mood for the biggest extravaganza in the cine world is the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games, which has been attracting huge numbers of sports enthusiasts despite continuing street protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Before the 14-day Games started on January 9, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) — the spearhead of the campaign against the new citizenship law — had signalled that education, games, business and other non-political events and activities such as culture and entertainment would continue alongside the protests against the Act.

Most in the state are of the view that the Filmfare Awards, which is being jointly organised by the Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited and Worldwide Media, will help showcase Assam’s heritage, art and culture, and music before the world. The prestigious event is expected to play a key role in projecting Assam as a major destination for tourism and investment.

“It is only after the advent of the internet that people started knowing about us,” says noted filmmaker Rima Das, whose Village Rockstars was India’s official entry at the 2018 Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film Category. “An event like this is a great opportunity to showcase our culture. More importantly, we can interact with people from the world of cinema, music and art and culture,” she remarks, adding, “We can connect with the world — emotionally and culturally. If the event is successful, all of us can reap the benefits.”

Equally elated, Utpal Borpujari, a National Award-winning movie critic and filmmaker, explains, “The event will be shown on television, which will give the state’s tourism a wide visibility. The presence of Bollywood big names will create a buzz about our state within and outside of India.” He further says, “The Filmfare Awards is one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious events. This will definitely add a lot of value to Assam’s cinema and tourism industries.”

The IIT-Roorkee alumnus is hopeful that the event can encourage filmmakers from across the country to use Assam’s beautiful locations for shooting. He says, “If the event is allowed to run smoothly without any obstructions, Assam will be the sole gainer. Protests can continue along with such events from which we can learn and benefit a lot. AASU, too, supports this view.” He adds, “Slogans were raised during the recent T20 match, but nobody disturbed it. The game got washed out because of rain.”

Arunjit Borah, a young director and writer from Assam, believes that the event will open up the state’s virgin locations to the outside world. He says, “The Hindi film industry is very big. When it comes here, people attached to it will find Assam as a shooting location that is as good as Himachal Pradesh. This will finally lead to employment generation for the locals.” He adds, “We must remember that Switzerland got exposure in India because of Yash Chopra’s films. We can call it cinema tourism.” Chopra’s larger-than-life films featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan made Switzerland a must-visit holiday destination for Indians.

Zublee Baruah, one of Assam’s most celebrated singers and social activists, says the Filmfare Awards will help “people from across the country know us better. We can prove our ability to hold such big events in our state.” She believes that alongside the protests all other normal activities must continue and hopes that the film fraternity and people of Assam will participate actively to ensure the emotional connect isn’t missing.

Saptaparna Biswas (BOMBAY TIMES; February 24, 2019)

With an enviable record of three acclaimed films to her name, National Award winner Rima Das is the toast of the international filmmaking community. Her film Village Rockstars brought the Assam girl critical recognition and fame, but few know that direction was not always on her radar. Rima went from Chhaygaon to Mumbai with dreams of becoming an actress. However, rejection and a chance encounter with works of Satyajit Ray, Majid Majidi and Abbas Kiarostami gave her a new direction in life, quite literally. After making waves with Village Rockstars, which was India’s official entry to the Oscars 2018, and Bulbul Can Sing, which is currently earning praises at multiple film festivals, Rima has overcome gender disparity and language barriers to emerge as an influential name in the field of filmmaking. In a chat with us, she speaks about breaking the glass ceiling, why women should believe in themselves and what can be done to make Indian films Oscar-worthy. Excerpts:

‘MANY PEOPLE DIDN’T BELIEVE IN MY METHOD AND QUESTIONED MY APPROACH’
At the Berlin International Film Festival aka Berlinale, festival director Dieter Kosslick pledged for gender equality in film submissions by 2020, in addition to ensuring better gender representation. Speaking about the same, Rima says, “I can happily state that India was well represented by Zoya Akhtar, Udita Bhargava and my films. These were screened with other big names of international cinema. I think this pledge shows that there is a conscious movement to decrease the gender gap in the field of cinema. It will certainly encourage women to tell the stories they want to.”

For Rima, the journey to her first directorial was not a bed of roses. She hit a low point in her life before taking things in her hands. She shares, “Women must put more faith in themselves than others. In my school and college, I was always the best actress. But in Mumbai, the story was different. I was not accepted because of things like my accent, no film school background etc. I slipped into depression and resorted to watching world movies alone. However, that proved to be a turning point as it opened a whole new world to me. The films mesmerised me and direction took over. I realised that I wanted to create my own world, rather than being restricted to that of others. That is when I decided to tell stories from my native village through my characters.”

With her cousin Mallika Das’ support and a new DSLR camera, Rima ventured into filmmaking. “When I started my first film, Man With The Binoculars, there were many who did not believe in my methods and questioned my approach towards topics. By the second film, I decided to overlook all these hiccups and stuck to my stories that spoke of a dreamy-eyed village girl Dhunu (Village Rockstars) or the free-spirited Bulbul (Bulbul Can Sing), despite the lack of faith from people in my craft.” Agreeing that it takes a lot more for a female filmmaker to prove their worth, especially if the film is speaking about women from their perspective, Rima says, “See, I’m a woman who has grown up observing things around her. So, when I tell stories, the issues that women face in India naturally get highlighted. Having said that, I don’t believe in shoving feminist issues in anyone’s face. I’d rather present them subtly, through organic visuals, for better understanding. Things have to be believable to be taken seriously.”

‘THE WORLD NOTICED THAT A WOMAN CAN SINGLE-HANDEDLY MAKE GOOD FILMS’
Rima doesn’t regret the struggle and, in fact, calls it her ‘film school education’. “Since I do not have any professional training, I have had to pretty much learn everything through the process of filmmaking. I was handling multiple departments at the same time. It was tough yet liberating. With Village Rockstars and Bulbul Can Sing getting international recognition, I finally found my footing, and the world noticed that a woman can also single-handedly make good films. Going ahead, I will collaborate with big production houses, mainstream filmmakers and more. In a way, the real struggle will begin when I do that,” says Rima.

‘VISIBILITY IN THE US IS KEY FOR AN OSCAR NOMINATION’
Though Village Rockstars couldn’t make it to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars, Rima refuses to get bogged down by the setback. Instead, she focuses on what more could’ve been done. “I think we need more time to market and promote our films. Visibility in the US is necessary. Members of the guild need to watch the movie. There are around 5000 members who vote for the top nominations after that. A total of 87 films from all over the world were in the category, including films like Roma and Shoplifters, which had ample visibility. We got only two months to campaign and promote Village Rockstars and that’s not enough,” says Rima, adding that support from the government and private firms is essential for any Indian film to make it to the Oscar nomination list.

‘SATYAJIT RAY SHOWED ME THE WAY’
When people drew parallels between Village Rockstars and Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali at a film festival, Rima was overwhelmed. “They said that I have a realistic and organic approach, just like Ray. I would say that Ray is the master who showed me the way. And there’s still a long way for me to go,” she concludes, hoping for better collaborations and stories to come forth in the near future, and this time, not just from Assam.

Rima Das, whose film Village Rockstars is India’s nominee for the 2019 Academy Awards, on why she doesn’t mind being an independent filmmaker
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 4, 2018)

“There were no natural disasters, we had fun,” says Rima Das, about the floods she experienced as a child in Kalardiya, 50 km southwest of Guwahati. “As a child, you looked forward to heavy rain and water all around. We would make rafts out of banana leaves to go to school, go fishing and sometimes, school would be shut too.”

It’s this childlike perspective that Das, 36, has tried to capture in her multiple National Award-winning Village Rockstars, which is India’s entry for the 2019 Academy Awards. Set in rural Assam, the film follows the story of a young girl who dreams of owning a guitar and forming her own band. Das says it’s a story that reflects her own dreams and aspirations. “Miracles happen. If you dream, they can be achieved,” says the one-woman-crew who wore multiple hats during the production — that of a director, producer, editor and cinematographer.

Das, who aspired to be an actress, considers herself to be an accidental filmmaker. When she arrived in Mumbai in 2003, after completing her masters in Sociology from Pune University and after clearing the National Eligibility Test (to pursue teaching like her father), it seemed her tinsel town ambitions would never take off. “I did a few plays at Prithvi, but I wasn’t getting the roles I wanted,” she says. “So I thought I would make a film and create a role for myself.” This is when Das came across the Canon 5D, “a small camera which offered cinematic results”. Her first “experiment” resulted in the short film Pratha (2009), which was well received on the festival circuit and gave her the “confidence to go ahead”.

A few years later, Das released her first feature Antardrishti (Man With The Binoculars), inspired by a friend who had purchased a pair of binoculars for his father in Kalardiya. The film, which was shot in Kalardiya, was completed in 2016. While Das was determined to make it to the front of the camera, she found being both an actor and director too much to handle. “I couldn’t focus on either and eventually direction took over.” Antardrishti was screened at Cannes in 2016, the Mumbai Film Festival and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia the same year. “When I started out, people told me there are 10,000 films submitted for Toronto Film Festival and 12,000 films submitted for Cannes, who is going to watch your film? But we are here, right? People told me a women empowerment film won’t win a National Award. But here we are.”

The idea for Village Rockstars struck Das when she was filming Antardrishti and came across a group of children dancing with make-believe musical instruments to a tune playing from a loudspeaker. As the movie enters its fifth week in theatres, Das feels “it’s truly a regional film that has gone mainstream.”

But this isn’t the response she expected. “When I made Village Rockstars, it was, for me, a festival film. There is no background score, there are many layers and it is not a structured film. But the response was heartening.”

Das credits the festival circuit as an enabler, as it “helps [the film] reach out to a wider audience”. “I didn’t even think of various interpretations [of the film] that others pointed out during the one-on-one audience interactions.” To create a buzz around her Oscar contender, Das has acquired an agent in LA and plans to host screenings to build awareness and generate interest.

While Das has received Rs 1 crore from the Assam government towards her Oscar campaign, she agrees that being backed by a studio would’ve made things smoother. On the other hand, she isn’t entirely sure if it would allow her complete autonomy over her project. “A few [studios] who have approached me lately, say they will give me the freedom to do whatever I want… but I can’t say how it would be because I haven’t experienced it yet. Mine has been a different journey,” she says. “When I take money from other producers, I would have to be more careful and listen to them too.” But she also admits that lack of funds can be detrimental when lobbying for a film that hasn’t had an international release. “There are 87 films being entered in the Best Foreign Language Film category so people should know about our film too. Films like Roma (Spanish) and Shoplifters (a Japanese film which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year) are backed by big studios and can afford to spend over 10 crore to create visibility, we can probably spend one, but it’s OK. Why should films backed by big studios be the only ones to go for Oscars?”

Rima Das, the National Award winning filmmaker, whose film has been chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars this year, charts the journey ahead
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; November 2, 2018)

Filmmaker Rima Das is relieved that the government of her home state, Assam, has contributed Rs 1 crore to help her promote Village Rockstars in the US. The National Award-winning film was unanimously chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars, 2019. It beat 27 films, including contenders from Hindi cinema and other languages, to bag the honour two months ago. Back then, Rima, in her interview to BT, had said, “As an individual, it will be very difficult for me to gather so much money on my own. My journey with Village Rockstars began five years ago. I have made it with my own money and travelled with it all over the world. Now that it’s gearing up to represent India, the country needs to step forth and help it get there.”

Her plea was heard and the government of Assam, where the film was also shot, has contributed Rs 1 crore for her impending Oscar journey. More contributions, big and small, have also been made by individuals. Rima can’t thank the state government enough for their contribution. Manish Mundra, the producer of Newton, which was India’s entry to the Oscars last year, has also helped Rima with a handsome amount, though no one from mainstream Bollywood has stepped in to help her.

Rima says, “Promotions for the Oscar run is a very big deal and I am still figuring my way forward. Thankfully, I didn’t have to work too hard for the CM of Assam to grant the money. I value every penny and whatever little help that people have extended so far. My state was celebrating Village Rockstars’ selection for the Oscars. I met our CM and a couple of other ministers. Everyone has seen the film and they willingly came forth to help me.”

For Rima, the Oscar chase is unlike anything she has experienced in her journey across international festivals. With the money granted to her, she has hired a publicist and is seeking advice from some of her friends, who she met at international film fests. “We have hired a publicist. I have been travelling to festivals for three years now. I’ve found some genuine people who are guiding me for putting together a team that will help me publicise the film and cover some ground in the Oscar run. We are now looking at exploring other avenues for visibility in America. I’m paying everyone in instalments. Crowdfunding is not a cakewalk. People are chipping in. I am talking to corporates, too, but all this takes a while,” says the filmmaker.

Rima will head to Los Angeles on November 5 and spend two months there, promoting her film and screening it for the Oscar lobbyists. “People across the world have responded well to my film. So, I am hopeful that it will impress people at the Oscars, too,” she says. Rima had applied for visas for her child actors, Bhanita and Mallika, who headline the cast of her film. However, their applications were rejected. “I want them to travel to America and promote the film there. Their application was rejected for the lack of documents, but I will try again and hopefully, I will be able to fly them to the US, which will be great for the film’s visibility,” she explains.

The director, in the last two months, has not had time to breathe. She believes that every work of art has its own destiny, and though she panics sometimes, it always helps to be calm in every scenario. “I just hope we do our best,” she sums up.

Top of the line talent and a robust #MeToo programme at the fest which runs from October 25 to November 1
MUMBAI MIRROR (October 25, 2018)

With Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival with Star celebrating a milestone, it’s hardly a surprise that this year the festival will rise beyond anything it has done before. From the vast selection of films that will screen to the talent that will attend, Mumbai will play host to India’s most exciting and leading film festival. While the festival celebrates films from India and across the world, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival is not just about the films but the discussions and conversations that surround it. So, while you are planning your week’s itinerary, here’s our top 5 reasons to make the festival a part of your week!

Smriti Kiran, Creative Director, said, “It is a very difficult time. We move into a celebration of cinema with a broken heart but with a resolve to keep the conversation going. The lineup this year is the best we have managed both in terms of talent and films. We are hoping that this 20-year milestone is the starting point to a new chapter both for MAMI and for the industry.”

Incredible line-up of films…
The ‘World Cinema’ category will screen 64 films from 43 countries in 37 languages and include 14 female directors, ranging from Chile, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Canada and Poland to some closer to home from the subcontinent such as Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Singapore, in languages like Azeri, Icelandic, Hebrew and Guizhou Dialect to Sinhala, Swahili, Tagalog and Wayunikee. While the category is known to feature some true masters of cinema like Lee Chang-dong, Paweł Pawlikowski, Jafar Panahi, Jean-Luc Godard, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Jia Zhangke, Alfonso Cuarón, Hong Sang-soo and Hirokazu Kore-eda, the festival will also celebrate favourites like BlacKkKlansman (Cannes Film Festival), Sorry to Bother You (Sundance Film Festival), Rafiki (the first Kenyan film to be selected at Cannes Film Festival), Berlinale winner Mug by Małgorzata Szumowska and Sundance winner The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Desiree Akhavan.

Local heroes: Indian filmmakers
The selection this year is a cauldron filled with India’s delicious cultural diversity. It spans multiple states and languages including Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali and Gaddi. This special edition of the festival marks the return of a host of creators from the Jio MAMI with Star family. Aadish Keluskar (his film Kaul won the Young Critics Choice Award in 2015) returns to the competition section with his latest Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil and Rima Das returns with her third feature Bulbul Can Sing — a coming of age tale and her third consecutive feature at the festival after Man With The Binoculars (2016) and Village Rockstars (2017).

#MeToo Programme at the Festival….
The #Metoo movement has taken the country by storm and is fast gaining momentum. Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star stands in solidarity with the movement and with the complainants. The festival not only supports the movement but would like it to continue to evolve into a more nuanced discussion that brings clarity and solutions.

The #MeToo programme at the festival is curated by filmmaker Ruchi Narain. There are 3 conversations and one workshop planned as part of the programme. The speakers include Aamir Khan, Parvathy, Kabir Khan, Anjali Menon, Shonali Bose, Renuka Shahane. The workshop on Sexual Harrassment at the workshop will be conducted by Anusha Khan and Asiya Shervani. The discussions will be moderated by Ruchi Narain and journalist Deepanjana Pal.

Masters and masterclasses…
While the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) will screen over 200 films in the coming week, one of the biggest highlights of the festival this year are the Masterclasses by some of the world’s most renowned and accomplished personalities in film. Filmmakers Darren Aronofsky, Sean Baker and Lucrecia Martel will talk about their work and interact with the legions of fans they have in the country.

Experience India gold and world premieres…
The prestigious India Gold section is the exclusive competition category for the latest Indian films from across the country. Jio MAMI with Star will premiere 8 top of the line Indian Films in competition this year. This includes three world premieres with Ridham Janve’s The Gold-Laden Sheep and The Sacred Mountain, Aadish Keluskar’s Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil and Vinit Chandrasekharan’s Buddha. Watched by a Jury of esteemed film personalities from around the world, the India Gold Selection is a platform that has premiered breakout films like Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court, Gurvinder Singh’s Chauthi Koot, Raam Reddy’s Thithi, Rima Das’ Village Rockstars, Shlok Sharma’s Haraamkhor and Avinash Arun’s Killa.

With a month to go before the Oscar lobbying begins, director Rima Das rues lack of financial support for India's entry, Village Rockstars
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; October 17, 2018)

Rima Das is on the threshold of realising one of the biggest achievements for a filmmaker - going to the Oscars. Her Assamese film, Village Rockstars, is India's official entry to the Academy Awards 2019 in the Best Foreign Film category. Though jubilant about the honour, Das says she has a tough road ahead - with no studio backing her small-budget film, the director lacks the financial resources required to promote it in Hollywood. Das is well-aware that lobbying is crucial to ensure that her film makes it to the final five nominees vying for the golden statuette.

"I made Village Rockstars on a budget of less than Rs 30 lakh. But to make it visible in Hollywood, I need money for marketing and promotion. I need to hire a PR machinery there and have to organise screenings for critics. My friend Adil [Hussain, whose film What Will People Say is the Norwegian entry] told me I need at least Rs 5 crore. How will I promote my film without any money," questions Das.

As a mark of support, the government of Assam, her home state, has promised her Rs 1 crore. "I have been assured that the tax will be waived. If taxed, I will get about Rs 68 lakh." Das adds that her friends and well-wishers have joined forces to raise funds for her trip.

No stranger to global acclaim, her film has done the rounds of several international film festivals. Before the lobbying of films kicks off in Los Angeles next month, Das hopes that her labour of love does not fall victim to scarcity of funds.

"Taking my cast to Los Angeles and staying there will cost me a tidy sum. I am now appealing to Bollywood stars to help Village Rockstars find a place in the world forum." She also points out that while previous Oscar entries have had their share of controversies, Village Rockstars has been universally applauded.

BOMBAY TIMES (September 23, 2018)

Village Rockstars was unanimously chosen by a 12-member jury, which was headed by producer S V Rajendra Singh Babu. The rest of the jury included directors and technicians from every department of filmmaking.

“Village Rockstars deserved this. We haven’t given it a chance; it bagged the chance to represent India at the Oscars. It has the right material. It belongs to a beautiful state of India and depicts a story rooted in the culture of the state. We have also been discussing the road ahead. Rima is an independent filmmaker. Our worry is, how will she manage a sum of Rs 2 crore to promote the film at the right avenues in America for two months. It needs to be shown to critics, Academy members, and needs to be advertised well. We will request the state and the central government to step forth and help her. We will also reach out to film studios in the country to contribute towards her journey to the Oscars. We’re very hopeful that this film will get really far in the competition if it’s given the right aid at the right time. It has already travelled to the most acknowledged film festivals of the world,” says Rajendra Singh Babu.

Director-writer Ananth Mahadevan, one of the key members of the jury, believes that this is one of those rare occasions when a jury has placed its finger on the right kind of film to represent India globally.

“In all these years, we haven’t made one right choice. If you select a bad player and he is underwhelming on the field, it’s the selectors to blame. For years, the jury has not selected the right film as the entry to the Oscars. I joined the jury with thorough research about the entries for the current year from other countries, and past entries from India and other countries. We had to know where we were going wrong. Selecting Village Rockstars was a well-calculated decision because it ticks every box. It’s a film rooted in India, has an international appeal and works beautifully at every level. We tend to think that what works in the mainstream here is what will appeal to the Academy out there, which is never the case. I have a strong feeling that this year, we will finish at the Top Nine if not the Top Five,” says Ananth.

He believes that if 20 pockets contributed Rs 10 lakh each, it could help Rima promote the film well, book ads in the trade papers and get people to watch it at the right time. “I am sure the Academy members will watch Village Rockstars to the end, and not discard it midway. This is the closest we have come to capturing spontaneity in a land ravaged by nature and the coming-of-age of a girl who doesn’t lose the innocence of her childhood. Indian films are believed to carry a poverty label, but here is a film about an impoverished community that holds its head high even in the face of calamities. That’s the message we want to send out everywhere in the world. We’ve made glaring errors for years — who sends a film like Jeans (1998) to the Oscars? The other wrong choices are also pretty evident. We haven’t sent a film by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Aravindan, Ritwick Ghatak, Shaji N Karun and more films by Satyajit Ray. For years, we didn’t have a filmmaker who could fill the void left by these filmmakers. We’ve finally found Rima Das,” Ananth sums up.

Independent filmmaker Rima Das’ Village Rockstars has been selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. In a chat with BT, she talks about the challenges that lie ahead
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 23, 2018)

Independent filmmaker Rima Das has hit bulls-eye with her coming-of-age film, Village Rockstars. After impressing the National Award jury earlier this year, and bagging top honours, including the National Award for the Best Film, the Assamese film has been selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars which will be held early next year. The film beat 27 contenders, comprising Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Gujarati films, to make its way to the top. The filmmaker has travelled with the film globally on her own steam. She produced, directed and shot it by herself with the help of one camera, one light and featured two children Bhanita and Manabendra Das from her village in Assam. Rima Das, who is currently in Assam, is elated with this news, but in a chat with BT, she says that taking this film all the way to the Oscars will be no mean feat. Excerpts…

The National Award put the spotlight on your film that had only been seen at festivals before that. And now, Village Rockstars will represent India at the Oscars. Would you say that you’ve had a dream run?
It’s a dream come true that the film has been unanimously selected to represent India at the Oscars. When I entered it for the Oscar selection, I was somewhere expecting that it will make the cut. I’m so happy that I got what I expected. The news came to me when I was at my village in Assam where I shot the film. Life has come a full circle. The children who have worked in the film are jumping with joy, although I am not sure how well they understand the gravity of the situation. It’s a huge task and responsibility to represent the country on a global platform like the Academy Awards. I don’t know how I will do it, because it needs a lot of money to promote the film and reach out to the right people at the right juncture. The film needs to get maximum visibility and a fair chance to surge ahead in the competition.

What’s the plan then?
I don’t know what will happen now. I will reach Mumbai on Monday and immediately start work on chalking out a plan for promoting the film in the US. Money is a huge constraint and I will address that with the Film Federation of India and whichever other bodies that I need to reach out to. As an individual, it will be very difficult for me to gather so much money on my own. I will need help and I will ask for it as openly as I can. I am an independent filmmaker. My journey with this film began five years ago. I have made it with my own money and travelled with it all over the world. Now that it’s gearing up to represent India, the country needs to step forth and help it get there.

In our last conversation, you underlined the fact that no studio, despite a National Award, was willing to back your film and give it a theatrical release. How do you plan to release the film now, given that it’s an important criterion for a film running for an Oscar?
Even before that article, I had been speaking to people, and after the article, a cinema chain partnered with me to release the film in seven cities in India and I will release it independently in Assam. The chain has a plan in place and the film will finally release in the country. I wish it had happened earlier. A film running for the Oscars has to have released in the country of origin on or before September 30. Thankfully, Village Rockstars releases on September 28. Since the film has been a part of the festival circuit for some time now, it has already been seen by many people, but the theatrical release will only help it grab more eyeballs. The class audience has seen it and appreciated it and I hope the mass audience will also like it as much.

There were 27 other films in the race for India’s entry to the Oscars, including some popular mainstream Hindi films. Almost every year, a controversy erupts over the choice of film being sent to the Oscars. So far, there hasn’t been any hue and cry about this year’s choice...
(Cuts in…) You know something? I am used to such talks. It happened when my film won the National Award this year. I am only grateful that my work was appreciated by the jury at the National Award and the Film Federation of India (FFI) Selection Committee. The number might be low, but even the aam junta who had seen the film didn’t question the selection. Yes, there are more people who are not aware and they might think that it is a vague choice. After my film won the National Award, several people told me that they would be interested in helping me release it nationally, but no one came forth when it was time to act on their words. Even now, everyone is saying great things. I hope they will stick to their words and help me out. Empty words hold no meaning. People can say anything they want about a selection, but what matters to me is that there are so many young boys and girls who love independent cinema and are willing to give such films a chance.



OTHER FILMS THAT WERE IN CONTENTION FOR THE OFFICIAL ENTRY

Hichki
October
Love Sonia
To Let
Halkaa
Pihu
Kadvi Hawa
Tumbaad
Manto
102 Not Out
Gulabjaam
Mahanati
Aa Karaala Ratri
Bogda
Rangasthalam
Reva
Mai Gayatri Jadhav
Bioscopewala
Best Of Luck Laalu
Kolamavu Kokila
Bhayanakam
Ajji
Nude
Gali Guleiyan 

Abdul Gani | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 23, 201)

Guwahati: Self-taught filmmaker Rima Das’s ‘Village Rockstars’ has been selected as India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars 2019, becoming the first film from Assam and the northeast to be nominated.

The film tells the story of a 10-year-old girl, Dhunu, who dreams of owning a guitar and forming a band with a group of local boys. The film, shot on a handheld camera in rural Assam, has travelled to at least 40 countries across the globe and won accolades. Earlier this year, ‘Village Rockstars’ won the ‘Golden Lotus’ (best film award) at the National Film Awards, becoming the state’s first film to win the award in three decades.

“I can’t express how happy I am. I shouted and cried in joy. I was silently dreaming about this. This is the biggest thing to happen so far,” an excited Rima said on Saturday.

“It had started in a very small way. I stayed at home eating food my mother cooked and taking my brother’s car to shoots. I was never trained in filmmaking, so I had nothing to lose,” she said. The film was made on a shoestring budget. Assam will be represented among films by other countries too — Norway is sending to the Oscars the film ‘What Will People Say’, featuring Assamese actor Adil Hussain. It was directed by Iram Haq.

Countries have until October 1 to send their official entry to the Academy that organises the Oscars. Films under consideration to be India’s official Oscar entry included Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Raazi’, Siddharth Malhotra’s ‘Hichki’, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmaavat’, among others.

The film will be released on September 28 in 31 theatres in Assam and in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune.

Filmmaker Shlok Sharma receiving an award in 2015 for his film Haraamkhor

MUMBAI MIRROR (September 19, 2018)

India’s biggest film festival, the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Slowly becoming the world’s gateway to the best of Indian cinema, the festival announced its line-up for the prestigious India Gold section — the exclusive competition category for latest Indian films from across the country.

A platform that premiered breakout films like Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court, Gurvinder Singh’s Chauthi Koot, Raam Reddy’s Thithi, Rima Das’ Village Rockstars, Shlok Sharma’s Haraamkhor and Avinash Arun’s Killa, Jio MAMI with Star will premiere nine top-of-the-line Indian Films in competition this year. This includes three world premieres with Ridham Janve’s The Gold-Laden Sheep And The Sacred Mountain, Aadish Keluskar’s Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil and Vinit Chandrasekharan’s Buddha. One Indian title, Dominic Sagma’s MA•AMA, is also in the International Competition section that focuses on debut filmmakers from across the world.

The selection this year spans multiple states and languages including Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali and Gaddi. The edition also marks the return of a host of creators from the Jio MAMI with Star family. Kannada drama Balekempa is the directorial debut of Ere Gowda (co-writer of Raam Reddy’s Thithi which played in the International Competition section in 2015), Aadish Keluskar (his Kaul won the Young Critics Choice Award in 2015) returns to the competition section with his latest Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil and Rima Das returns with her third feature Bulbul Can Sing — a coming of age tale and her third consecutive feature at the festival after Man With The Binoculars (2016) and Village Rockstars (2017).

Apart from world premieres and latest films from MAMI alumni creators, the selection also has current festival favourites (Indian titles that have travelled far and wide, making waves at festivals around the world this year) — Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s (Labour Of Love) — new film Jonaki (World Premiered at IFFR this year) and filmmaker Ivan Ayr’s Soni (World Premiered at Venice International Film Festival this year).

Kerala State Film Award winner Light In The Room from Rahul Riji Nair is also in the selection as is Kabir Chowdhry’s quasi-documentary Mehsampur.

The India Gold films will be watched by a Jury of esteemed film personalities from around the world. The Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star this year will take place between October 25 to November 1.

Films in INDIA GOLD

Balekempa | Dir Ere Gowda | India | 2018| 103 mins

Buddha | Dir Vinit Chandrasekharan | India | 2018 | 100 mins

Bulbul Can Sing | Dir Rima Das | India | 2018 | 90 mins

Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil | Dir Aadish Keluskar | India | 2018 | 105 mins

Jonaki | Dir Aditya Vikram Sengupta | India | 2018 | 95 mins

Light In The Room | Dir Rahul Riji Nair | Malayalam | 97 mins

Mehsampur | Dir Kabir Chowdhry | Indian | 2018 | 99 mins

Soni | Dir Ivan Ayr | India | 2018 | 97 mins

The Gold-Laden Sheep and The Sacred Mountain | Dir Ridham Janve | India | 2018 | 97 mins


Filmmaker Rima Das won the top prize in India Gold section last year for Village Rockstars, presented by Deepika Padukone, who is a member of the festival board


A still from Das’s Bulbul Can Sing, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this month. Its India premiere is slated for Jio MAMI with Star 201

Village Rockstars, this year’s National Award winner for the Best Film, has travelled to international festivals, but it hasn’t released in India yet. Here’s what the director had to say
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 9, 2018)

Even as she is gearing up to start work on her fourth film, director Rima Das has not been able to find a producer for the release of Village Rockstars, this year’s National Award winner in the Best Film category. By the time the film bagged the National Award, it had already travelled to 60 national and international film festivals, enjoying full-house screenings. So, what is it that stops Village Rockstars from making it to our cinema halls?

Rima says, “As an independent director-producer, I will release the movie in Assam and a few other cities. Big producers and studios don’t want to take any risk on content. They all talk about markets and the audience’s taste, but what they fail to understand is that markets need to be developed. I have been to many international festivals where children have watched my film and interviewed me for it. These countries work on developing the taste of their audience early on. As adults, these children will have a very different sensibility in cinema. That is what we need to do in India. Simply talking about the market not changing does not help. We need brave producers to back a film like Village Rockstars.”

As she is gearing up to start her fourth project, Rima hopes to get better resources and equipment. Though she is struggling to find support for her National Award-winning film, she admits that she has no regrets. “With the position I am in, I don’t have to bother about getting a producer. Yes, I will try and get more equipment for making my fourth film. Since I have been financing my films so far, I could create my journey the way I wanted to. I want to continue with what I am doing. That is liberation in the true sense,” she explains.

Has the National Award given her more opportunities? “I made Village Rockstars because of my passion for cinema; I wasn’t thinking about the market or the audience. The National Award has opened more doors for me, but I feel sad that a large part of the audience in India has still not seen the film, though it has been appreciated all over the world,” she replies.

Rima, who is based in Mumbai and grew up on Bollywood fare like Pakeezah and Mughal-E-Azam, reveals that she has never been to a film school, nor hasshe assisted a top filmmaker. “I have constantly been educating myself about the craft. When my work gets appreciated, it fills me with confidence to make the next film. I think, as a writer-director, self-belief is very important. For that, even if one has to start on a really small scale, the journey is worth it,” she signs off.

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; May 17, 2018)

Huma Qureshi’s first appearance at Cannes Film Festival happened six years ago, when she made her acting debut with Gangs of Wasseypur. The film was screened as part of the Directors’ Fortnight section at the prestigious festival. This time around, Huma visited Cannes as part of the Government of India’s contingent of artistes, who were there to talk about independent cinema. BT caught up with the actress and got her to talk about her recent sojourn to the French Riviera, fashion, films and the #MeToo campaign. Excerpts…

Did your sartorial choices for Cannes play out the way you envisaged? Also, in today’s day and age, do you think that it’s important for an actress to be a fashionista as well?
We barely had two weeks to put it all together. I was new to the red carpet game and didn’t want to compete with anyone. Some of my Indian designer friends went out of their way to make some exquisite clothes for me. It was very confusing, because people were giving my team all sorts of advice, but eventually, we followed our instinct. I completely trusted my team’s vision. Fashion is definitely important, but my aim was to enjoy the festival. I think that reflects in the pictures, too.

While you spoke up about sexual harassment at work in Cannes, many of your contemporaries talk about it as something that happens to others. The way the West has taken on the issue head on, are you hopeful that it will ever happen in the Indian film industry? Also, do you think that men, too, should join the fight against sexual harassment?
We are yet to be as open as Hollywood actresses in terms of addressing sexual harassment at workplace. But, I do hope that changes. The battle against sexual harassment has to be fought both by men and women. A #MeToo moment is welcome, but I think women fear backlash in our society so much that they would rather not come out. We must create space and security for women to speak out against sexual crimes.

As an artiste, what does the Cannes film festival mean to you? Did you manage to catch some of the films in competition?
Cannes is a mix of films and fashion. It gives filmmakers from across the world an opportunity to showcase their artistic brilliance. I hope there are more film festivals like this, not just in other parts of the world, but also in India. I didn’t get a chance to watch too many films, but I watched Manto. I love Nandita Das as an actor, and I knew that she would make an excellent film. Manto’s story is relevant even today. I also met Rima Das, who has made Village Rockstars (Won this year’s National Award in the Best Feature Film category). I missed Asghar Farhadi’s Everybody Knows, which I was keen on watching.

Your upcoming film (Kaala) is opposite Rajinikanth. Tell us about your experience of sharing screen space with him... Was learning Tamil a difficult task?
Working with Rajini sir is a dream come true for any actor; it was a humbling and learning experience. Not only is he immensely talented and professional, but also a warm person. Learning Tamil was challenging, but the team was supportive and helped me a great deal. I would converse with them in Tamil and that made it easier to pick up the language.