Rima Das: 'I Like That Magic When You Just Follow Life'

'I am quite impulsive when making a movie. That is the reason I need to stop sometimes, probably pause.'

Over the last decade, Assamese filmmaker Rima Das has created her own space -- a strong lyrical voice, often focusing on the lives of children in rural Assam. Her films have traveled to major international film festivals, winning awards, including prestigious honours in India as well.

Her critical success Village Rockstars (2017), exploring the life of a 10-year-old girl who wants to form a rock band, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Village Rockstars was submitted as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. It was later awarded a Golden Lotus for the Best Indian Film at the National Film Awards.

That was followed by Bulbul Can Sing (2019) and the film received a Special Mention by the Generation 14plus International Jury at Berlinale. It also won the National Film Award for the Best Assamese Film. Village Rockstar 2 (2024) won the Kim Ji Seok Award at the Busan International Film Festival.

In February, Das returned to Berlinale for the world premiere of her latest film Not A Hero, the story of Mivan, an 11-year-old boy from Guwahati (played by Das' nephew Bhuman Bhargav Das), who is sent by his parents to stay with an aunt in the family's village.

Having been exposed to city life, Mivan struggles in the village, but eventually makes peace with his surroundings and also establishes close friendships with his school mates.

Not A Hero won a Crystal Bear Special Mention in the General Kplus competition.

Das spoke to Aseem Chhabra at Berlinale after the film's premiere, and said, "I was prepared to make a woman-centric, mature film, and this happened. I thought I would make just a short film and within a month I would finish, but it went on and on. It also become bigger and bigger."

Rima, your nephew Bhuman was adorable in the film. This is the first time you have made a film focusing on a boy. Village Rockstars 1 & 2 and even Bulbul Can Sing mostly focused on girls.

Tora's Husband (2022) also had a boy character. Bhuman acted in it.

But wasn't Tora's Husband more about the marriage? In Not A Hero, your focus is the boy. What is the difference when you narrate a coming-of-age story from girl's and a boy's point of view?

There is not much of a difference, perhaps because I grew up with my brothers and other boys in my village. I hung out with boys a lot. Even Tora's Husband, people asked me how did you understand a man, the nuances of the particular character. I think I didn't have that problem when I was making this film. I was quite comfortable.

'These boys broke my Vipassana'

Of course, there are a whole bunch of boys in Not A Hero. The games they play, they are often mean to Bhuman's character. Your casting was so good.

If there was any difference, it was this. The children in Village Rockstars would listen to me. But these kids were so different. They were fighting all the time, especially the chutku (Mrinmoy Das), who plays Rio, Mivan's best friend in the village. He was such a badmash.

The last three years I have been doing Vipassana. These boys actually broke my Vipassana. I was shouting! For three days, I asked the behind-the-scenes team not to come.

They are exposed to noises, competition, opinions, access to the Internet and used to instant rewards. They are demanding, and they are seeing so much, right? When they need something, they just don't care.

And the chutku influenced everyone. He was the leader, even though he was among the youngest. He used to come to shoot and he wouldn't want to put on makeup. Later after 10 days, I had to ask his mother to accompany him, and that's how the film was completed.

But thanks to him, I changed the film's title. Earlier, it was called A Gift for My Father. But because of these kids, I changed it to Not A Hero.

I am curious about Mivan's character and his parents. They speak in English, probably because they live in Guwahati. But he also speaks in Hindi. That has not happened in your other films.

You know, migration is happening, and they are watching everything on the Internet. If you listen to Bhuman, he speaks English with a better accent than me. I live in Mumbai, but feel his English and Hindi accents are better than mine. It's from watching reels, social media, gaming... Kids of his age in Guwahati are very comfortable speaking in Hindi.

'I like that magic when you just follow life'

He struggles with his Assamese. His character cannot read the language.

That's because now you see lot of kids going to private schools. Earlier, we used to go to the same government-run schools, whether one was privileged or not.

You said you grew up with kids, so most of your films are focused on children.

It's my karma. This time, I was prepared to make a woman-centric, mature film, and this happened. I thought I would make just a short film and within a month I would finish, but it went on and on. It also become bigger and bigger.

Do your scripts keep evolving? You don't start with a finished script?

Yes, mostly.

I can feel that because there are visual movements that happen in your films. You can tell that sometimes it's almost unplanned, depending on the situation, depending on the light.

Yeah, that's true. It always happens. I am trying to reduce that and am writing more, but I like that magic when you just follow life.

I think especially with non-actors, it's easier.

Even with professional actors. I worked with Shahana Goswami in a short film. She was okay improvising.

'All my films should not look the same'

Did you give the kids lines in advance? Or just in the morning of the shoot?

I would give them lines only before the scene would be shot. Sukanya Borauh, who plays Pahi, the aunt, is a professional actor who lives in Mumbai. I did the same thing with her, gave her lines on the same day. I did a workshop.

Sukanya and Bhuman watched the film for the first time at the premiere in Berlin. Only then they fully understood the story.

You have been a one-woman filmmaking team, but in this time, you didn't shoot the film. You still edited it and, of course, directed it. Why did you work with a different Director Of Photography, Aditya Varma?

Because I need change. I am not a professional cinematographer, I learned on the job. At that time, it was necessary.

Village Rockstars was so lyrical and beautiful. I will never forget that scene when the kids are in the boat, and we feel as if we are on the same boat with them. It's remarkable for a non-professional cinematographer to capture that magic.

Yeah, I followed my intuition. I always worked with handheld cameras. But in this film, it wouldn't have been possible to work without another DOP. The children were so different and it was not easy to shoot with them. It was quite difficult.

I enjoyed working with Aditya Varma because then I could focus on directing while also check-up what he had shot. He has been doing films mostly with Dar Gai (a Ukrainian filmmaker, who is now based in Mumbai) and Juggad Motion Pictures. He has shot videos, ads, documentaries.

Also, I cannot always shoot. I have a frozen shoulder carrying a camera.

So I enjoyed writing and could focus more on directing, improvise. Also, I feel all my films should not look the same.

'I am quite impulsive when making a movie'

In the past, you have talked about how difficult it is to raise money. Has it become easier, as you win more and more awards, and your films travel to other festivals? You worked with two new co-producers Chippy Babu and Munish Bhardwaj.

Actually, from the last year, I started collaborating with Fran Borgia who is Spanish, but based in Singapore. Also Abhishek Sharma, plus Mario Stefan who is from Munich. So it is a bigger team now.

Your work is so fresh. I have seen five of your films. They are so different than anything else that has been made in India, so I can understand younger producers are drawn to you.

I hope so. Fran Borgia is on board with the Busan market project Malti My Love. There is a documentary I started shooting called Brides And Walking Dead. It is so hard hitting for me that now, I am making it as a fiction. I have shot for 18 days, and will change the title.

What's next?

I need to relax a bit. I think I am quite impulsive when making a movie. That is the reason I need to stop sometimes, probably pause.

How often do you go for Vipassana?

I have been doing it since January 2023.

The first time, I went to Gaya. Ten days is compulsory for the first time. After that, I have been doing three days, then three more. You can go for one day also. Meditation is like cycling or swimming. It stays with you.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff