Shah Rukh Khan to present Rima Das' Bulbul Can Sing as opening film at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2019

National Award-winning filmmaker  Rima Das ’ latest Assamese feature,  _Bulbul Can Sing_ is all set to be the opening film of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Shah Rukh Khan, this year’s chief guest at the festival, will present the film to the Australian audiences in Melbourne. The film will be screened on 8 August. [caption id=“attachment_5243431” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Bulbul Can Sing[/caption] Sharing her excitement, Rima said, “I love the enthusiasm and exuberance of an opening night. (I am) so excited that Bulbul Can Sing is the opening night film at IFFM. The film has truly been special for me as a filmmaker. The response and appreciation we have received from across the places we had traveled to with the film is also very special. I’m looking forward to the Australian premiere of the film and interacting with the audiences there and having a conversation with them on cinema.” The annual festival, which takes place in Australia, will celebrate its decade-long initiative to promote Indian cinema in the continent. Bulbul Can Sing is a visceral coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl, Bulbul, living in a village in Assam, fighting her way through love and loss as she figures out who she really is. It had its world premiere at  Toronto International Film Festival  (TIFF) 2018, where it was showcased at the Contemporary World Cinema section. It was also showcased at the 23rd  Busan International Film Festival 2018. Rima Das’ debut film as a writer-director-producer, Man with Binoculars (Antardrishti), premiered at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2016.  _Village Rockstars_,  her second feature, has screened at more than 70 renowned film festivals and has won 44 awards, including four National Awards (Best Feature, Best Editing, Audiography and Child Artist). It was even India’s official entry from the country to the Oscars.