Rima Das on Village Rockstars 2 competing at BIFF: Wasn’t sure if film festivals would be interested in sequels

Rima Das' Village Rockstars 2 is the only Indian film chosen for the Jiseok Competition at the 29th Busan International Film Festival.

Sequels and franchises are not only dominating the mainstream entertainment landscape globally, but are also an emerging trend in the independent cinema space. Filmmaker Rima Das' acclaimed 2017 film Village Rockstars, which won Best Feature Film at the 65th National Film Awards and represented India at the 91st Academy Awards, has a sequel. This follow-up is already making waves, competing for the Kim Jiseok Award at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) 2024.

Rima Das

Village Rockstars 2 is the only Indian film chosen for the Jiseok Competition at the 29th Busan International Film Festival, which kicks off on October 2. It is one of eight films selected for this prestigious section.

"Honestly, I was unsure about naming it Village Rockstars 2. I haven't seen many sequels in independent cinema, so I wasn’t sure if it was the right choice. But after thinking it over, I decided that it truly is a sequel to the first one, so I went with that title," says the 42-year-old filmmaker, who was invited to join the director's branch by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences earlier this year.

Adding that she is excited about the world premiere of her film at BIFF, Das notes, "Busan selecting us is a wonderful thing to happen. And even though it’s a sequel, the film (Village Rockstars 2) stands on its own. People who haven’t seen the first one can still enjoy it without missing anything."

Das also expressed apprehensions about whether international festivals, particularly those that hadn't shown the first film, would be interested in a sequel. “We’re looking forward to taking it to festivals and then releasing it in theaters and on OTT platforms. I was a bit worried about how festivals that didn’t screen the first film would react to a sequel, but having Busan select the film is amazing, especially since they didn’t screen the first one. This gives us hope.”

Notably, Das has retained the original cast, including the child actor Bhanita Das. “We started filming in July 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, and it took us longer to complete than the first Village Rockstars. The cast is a mix of familiar faces and new ones, and you’ll also see some fresh, young musicians featured in the film,” she ends.