Dhunu, the 10-year-old protagonist in Rima Das' feature Village Rockstars (2017), was given a piece of advice the day she hit puberty: Stop climbing trees and playing with boys.

Dhunu, curious by nature, is confused at first, like every other girl witnessing her body enter a strange biological transformation. She abides by the rules of her patriarchal society laid down, but it wouldn't take very long for Dhunu to start climbing trees and chasing boys in the green fields.

In a way, this Subte Art of Giving No F*ks without taking on the system tooth and nail is a remarkable quality this Indian indie exalts. No character in Das' Village Rockstars fights a cause with a sense of rebellion.

The only time a character, Dhunu's mother, makes a fuss about criticism, she keeps it to herself. She shouts facts in front of an empathizing woman, thereby giving her daughter an assurance, whatever she's doing - climbing trees or running with boys - is her right.

In a flood-prone village in Assam, a 10-year-old girl dreams of buying a guitar and forming a music band. For someone living in abject poverty, neglect, and in a constant tussle with the elements, Dhunu's dream is a luxury. But like her mother, a single mom, she is not giving up.

Dhunu began to save money, rupee-by-rupee, to materialize her wish. She is afraid to tell her hardworking mother, close friends who share the same dream because she believes actions speak louder than assurances.

Honesty is the trademark of Village Rockstars. Far from the chaos of urban India, a place where grass, sky, rain, and everything in between smells closer to home, this movie gives purpose to small dreams we all had when we had our tiny feet plowed the fields.

A celebration of everything beautiful and innocent, Rima Das' movie is a scintillating ode to her home state, Assam. Like G.Aravindan's Kummatty (1979), this indie relies on the language of foretellers - children.

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