Rima Das says Zubeen Garg’s death delayed ‘Village Rockstars 2’ release

Mumbai: The green fields and golden hour charms of Assam are back in Rima Das’ Village Rockstars 2 — but its journey to theatres was anything but smooth.

A sequel to her acclaimed 2017 Assamese coming-of-age drama that was India’s official Oscar entry, the film premiered at the 29th Busan International Film Festival in October 2024 before getting a limited theatrical release this year.

The delay, Das said, was caused by multiple factors, including the death of singer Zubeen Garg last September.”He is a heartthrob and his death changed everything. Everyone was grieving in Assam. It affected us greatly,” Das said.

After festival screenings and special events, Das released the film in Assam on March 6, shortly after returning from the world premiere of her film Not a Hero at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.

In retrospect, she feels the release should not have been limited to Assam. The filmmaker also spoke about making films with children and nature, and the need to build a better system to support cinema from the Northeast.