A doctorate degree was conferred to Rima Das at the 3rd convocation of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKSHOU) held at the Srimanta Sankardeva International Auditorium in February 2018.[15]
She became known as a one-woman crew, writing, directing, producing, editing, and shooting a film, besides handling art direction and costume designing. Das is not trained in any aspect of filmmaking.[1] This, she believes has turned out to be a boon for her career:
The fact that I am not trained and I didn't go to a film school in a way helped me to explore more and to be true to my vision. Be it the writing, direction, cinematography or editing, I didn't follow a method trained professionals would. I could understand my craft better and create my own kind of cinema. Watching world cinema inspired me and gave me a perspective of global filmmaking. But I think having my own unique style helped me stand out.[19]
Her second feature film, Village Rockstars (2017),[20] which won several national and international awards.[21][2][3] The film—written, directed, edited, and produced by Das[22]—was India's official entry for the 90th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.[4][5] The film, chosen out of 28 other entries in India, is also the first Assamese film to be submitted for Oscar consideration.[4] She won India's National Award for Best Film and Best Editor, announced on 13 April 2018 by a Government of India appointed jury headed by filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor.[6]Village Rockstars is the second Assamese film to get national recognition after Jahnu Barua's Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai(The Catastrophe).[1] The film traces the story of Dhunu, a girl from a village in Assam who dreams of owning a guitar and forming a rock band.
She directed a short film called For Each Other in 2019,[25] which premiered at the 3rd Pingyao International Film Festival, and directed her first documentary fiction film, Sunshine Dreamers.[26][27]
In 2022, her new film Tora’s Husband will have its World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, where it is selected to compete in the Platform section. It is the first Indian film to be showcased in the category. Rima Das talks about her journey making the film, "In the midst of loss, lockdowns and life, we shot the film over two years in real locations and natural conditions. Shooting this film was more challenging than shooting my previous films because the pandemic restricts you in many ways. There was this constant feeling of fear and restlessness, which my characters also depict. But I knew I just had to shoot this film, as this time will become history one day".[28]
Das hails from the village Kalardiya near Chhaygaon in Assam, 50 km southwest of Guwahati.[19] She is the daughter of a teacher. She cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) after her Masters in Sociology at Pune University.[19] But the desire to be an actor took her to Mumbai in 2003. She acted in plays, including an adaptation of Premchand's Godaan staged at the Prithvi Theatre.[19]
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