Assamese film ‘Village Rockstars’ by Rima Das will be screened at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in their 42nd edition which is scheduled to be held from September 7 in Toronto.

Rima Das has already won accolades with her debut film ‘Antardrishti’ (Man with the Binoculars). Village Rockstars is the second work of the self-taught filmmaker.

Village Rockstars will be screened at the Discovery Opening Film category.

“We are overwhelmed at this development. I stay firmly resolved with the idea that hard work with no expectations and wholesome fun open possibilities. I pay my tribute to my children in the film who gave the most remarkable performance, believing in me. It’s a huge boost for my work,” Das said.

The film was entirely shot by Das herself along with village kids over three years of time.

It tells the story of a 10-year-old girl named Dhunu, the protagonist, who dreams of owning a guitar and forming a band, the Rockstars, with a group of local boys. Dhunu, however, had to fight gender stereotypes on what a girl should do amid poverty and other hostile conditions.

“Village Rockstars is a very personal film and close to my heart. It almost changed my life. Three years back, while shooting for my first film which I also shot in my old village Kalardiya, I came in regular touch with these village kids and decided to tell their story,” said Das.

Her cousin Mallika and the children acted in the film helped Das throughout. “Over the three years of shooting, ‘the kids’ became my own,” said Das.

Earlier, Das won two awards at HAF 2017 (Hong Kong Asian Film Forum) — Post-Production Fund award from White Light Studio and a place in the Hong Kong to Cannes Film festival for ‘Village Rockstars’.

Noted Assam actor Adil Hussain-starrer ‘What Will People Say’ by the Norwegian-Pakistani director Iram Haq will also be premiered during the festival. Hussain, who plays a migrant Pakistani in the film, congratulated Das on her success.

“Big congratulations @rimadas_Artist for #VillageRockStar to be selected in @TIFF_NET. Perhaps we will be two Assamese in the festival,” Hussain tweeted.

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About Abdul Gani

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Abdul Gani is a Guwahati-based journalist