Rima Das’s 'Not a Hero' explores boyhood & belonging at Berlin premiere
Set between the city & the countryside, 'Not a Hero' follows a young boy confronting masculinity, strength & belonging in unfamiliar terrain
Rima Das (centre) with the cast Bhuman Bhargav Das (left) & Sukanya Boruah (right). (Photo:rimadas13/Instagram)
New Delhi, Feb 15: Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Rima Das, Not a Hero premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival to a warm audience reception.
The film was screened in the Generation Kplus Competition section on Saturday at the 76th edition of the festival.
"Not a Hero trusts young audiences to sit with ambiguity and emotional complexity. It doesn't simplify experience or resolve conflicts neatly. I'm grateful it premiered in Generation, a space where children are not symbols or lessons, but fully formed individuals. That openness feels essential to how the film breathes...Walking the red carpet with the team made the moment even more special and deeply meaningful," Das said in a statement.
Set between the city and the countryside, Not a Hero follows a young boy navigating an unfamiliar world that quietly reshapes his understanding of strength, masculinity, and belonging.
"Exiled from city comforts to his ancestral village, a boy encounters his bitter aunt, befriends a horse, and joins wild local children on untamed adventures-discovering the beauty of life and a courage he never knew he had," read the official logline.
Shot in Assamese, Hindi and English, the film stars Bhuman Bhargav Das, who previously appeared in Das's 2022 movie Tora's Husband, alongside actor Sukanya Boruah and a cast of non-professional performers.
The movie is produced under Das's banner, Flying River Films, in association with Akanga Film Asia. It also marked the third time for the filmmaker to have her film screened at the festival following 2019's Village Rockstar and its sequel Village Rockstars 2, which released in 2025.
PTI