Village Rockstars

Indie and offbeat art movies are not everyone's cup of tea. Village Rockstar doesn't fall under the art film category but as Utpal Borpujari said "You can't go more Indie than Village Rockstar". A movie made by one woman crew, investing her own money, working with untrained actors, and dedicating 5 years of her life harvesting in a film is a feat people should respect if not laud. To understand VR one needs to understand the geography where its filmed. An amateur review posted in the platform writes that despite all the hindrance the film sorts out everything just like magic. The hindrance mentioned were: flood, and puberty (which was mysterious)... Now, lets get the facts right: 1) When puberty hits a female its always sudden, there's no warning sign 'I'm coming..." and puberty is not a hindrance at all, so I guess that's the reason we see the lead , Dhunu being normal after the ceremony. 2) Flood after it subsides thing gets back to normal. Since, its a feature length film the maker didn't really have time to show how the lead overcame each and every hindrance... May be if it was a TV series like say "OFFICE" then the maker could have focused on each and every details liked 'flood & puberty' which were just subplots of the movie.

All in all the movie is a great lesson for aspiring filmmakers. It dragged a bit,a nd the end was a little abrupt, but kudos to the makers for the effort and the heart to bring out this gem out of nowhere.

VILLAGE ROCKSTARS, a film by RIMAS DAS is not merely a film, it's an epitome of the life of people in rural areas of Assam.Rima Das single handedly guides us through the lives of the people of Assam suffering from frequent floods which the government have not given proper attention till now. She imparts a soul which makes the film real and raw. The wide shots in the movie are breathtaking.Even without a film school, she created magic out of each frame. All the actors in the film are non-professionals. Even with non-professional actors, she managed to guide and draw great performances out of them, for which the lead Bhanita Das won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist. Village Rockstars was selected as India's official entry to the 2018 Oscars, which it totally deserved. It was also premiered in acclaimed international film festivals TIFF, Cannes, DIFF etc...

A masterwork is usually the result of strict adherence to artistic and functional rules. Village Rockstars respects none: it dons a raw, innocent cloak and exudes a degree of purity that deliberate craft can never bestow on a film... The film stands for something that is always under threat: the courage to ignore the reality that life is exceedingly difficult for cinema that is made on the margins of a giant production machinery and recognise that there always are ways out for those who revel in battling the odds, no matter how daunting, and overcoming them.

I tend to appreciate filmmakers who can seamlessly weave the beauty and the geace of outdoor locations into their stories, all without relying on complex cinematographic maneuvers or some artificially generated visual effects.

They simply like to embrace and soak in the beauty of "Mother Nature" and her incessantly tranquil presence. Rima Das is one amongst those rare bunch, and I admire her for that.

Now, about the film, it was refreshingly simple and heartfelt. I especially liked how compassionately it advocates for dreamers and their dreams, even in the midst of dire circumstances.

The tale graciously illustrates that our dreams are not confined by societal or financial constraints; all they aspire is relentless passion, a creative mind, and love and encouragement of our family and friends who would be willing to go the 'extra mile' to help us achieve our goals.

Village Rockstars really rocks! I love the way of the presentation of the film. Rima Das shows the strength of the will power... Not emotionally but logically I'm saying that Village Rockstars must be nominated for Oscar. That's what it deserves. Oscar award is dependent completely upon the Oscar's Jury members... I immensely hope so.