TIFF 2022: Rima Das on ‘Tora’s Husband’ and making films with real people, space and time

Filmmaker Rima Das discusses ‘Tora’s Husband’, her latest feature that had its world premiere at the recently-concluded Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2022

Her narratives are strongly rooted in real people and the local milieu, often discovering and celebrating the beauty of ordinary life in Assam. That is not just it. There is always a sense of conflict between the inner and exterior world that Rima Das’ characters seem to inhabit — whether it is Village Rockstars (2017), a film that put her on the global map and was India’s official selection for the Oscars, or Bulbul Can Sing (2018). 

Her latest feature, Tora’s Husband, which premiered recently at TIFF 2022, seems to deal with a similar conflict: personal is the larger politics. Set against the pandemic, the film is about an everyday man who struggles to keep his small business afloat, while shouldering through lockdowns, relationships and losses. Although not directly affected by the pandemic, Das says she was living alone in Mumbai during the first lockdown, “oscillating between hopelessness and hope”. She felt alive when she returned to her hometown in Assam. There, she noticed the locals fighting the everyday struggle of survival.

Rima Das had a story to tell. Excerpts from an email interview:

TIFF is the biggest public film festival and a hub for cinema lovers. So, I feel extremely grateful that Tora’s Husband is our third premiere at the festival. At the premiere, I discovered some of the audience members who had previously watched Village Rockstars and Bulbul Can Sing, were there for Tora’s Husband. It’s a great feeling when film lovers appreciate your work and cheer you on.

Tora’s Husband is different from my previous films. So, I was curious how the audience would react to it. I am glad people connected with the raw and realistic portrayal of characters, their world and the times.

Tora’s Husband is the very personal journey of a common man. What each of us went through might differ, but the suffering and loss was universal. I kept contemplating whether I should make this movie or not. That’s when it occurred to me that this time will be important for us, when we look back. People still make and watch World War II movies even today. I felt why should I not document the real pandemic situation in real locations the way I see it?

Every film I do is personal. Knowingly or unknowingly, I cannot personally detach from the film. In some way or the other, I get emotionally connected to the characters and story. I lost my father when I barely began shooting the film. I continued filming in that mental state and it took a toll on the film. If he was around then it would have been different in terms of the story or structure. I can’t pinpoint.