Rima Das on Not A Hero's victory at Berlin Film Festival: ‘Children face unfiltered realities early’

(L-R) Alan McAlex, Farhan Akhtar, Lakshmipriya Devi, and Ritesh Sidhwani. Pics/AFP, PTI, Instagram

Stories from Northeast India made a mark on the global stage this weekend. Director Lakshmipriya Devi's Manipuri movie ‘Boong' was adjudged the Best Children's & Family Film at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), becoming the first Indian film to win in this category. The historic win came only a day after Rima Das's ‘Not A Hero' received the Crystal Bear Special Mention at the Berlin Film Festival.

(From left) Rima Das with Bhuman Bhargav Das and Sukanya Baruah

As she accepted the BAFTA award, Devi used the platform to deliver a poignant message. She said, "I just want to use this opportunity to say that we pray for peace to return to Manipur."

A still from ‘Boong'; (right) ‘Not A Hero' premièred at Berlinale on February 14

When mid-day reached out to Das, she described the award ceremony in Berlin as "magical". The filmmaker reflected on the origin of ‘Not A Hero', which revolves around a boy who moves from the city to his ancestral village, saying, "Whenever I visited my home in the village, I observed how children are exposed to unfiltered realities and how quickly they adapt. I was thinking about how early they are exposed to noise, competition, opinions, and instant rewards. I felt a gap between what the world demands from them and what they feel inside."

Sukanya Baruah, among the leads in ‘Not A Hero', told mid-day, "The win [gives me] courage to trust my instincts."