Vanaja, the 15 year old daughter of a financially troubled fisherman goes to work in the local landlady's house in hopes of learning Kuchipudi dance. She does well, but when the Landlady's son returns from the US, what begins as innocent sexual chemistry turns ugly, ending in a rape - a rape of a minor. Set in rural South India, a place where social barriers are built stronger than ancient fort walls, the film explores the chasm that divides classes as a young girl struggles ... (Full plot summary below)
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Vanaja, the 15 year old daughter of a financially troubled fisherman goes to work in the local landlady's house in hopes of learning Kuchipudi dance. She does well, but when the Landlady's son returns from the US, what begins as innocent sexual chemistry turns ugly, ending in a rape - a rape of a minor. Set in rural South India, a place where social barriers are built stronger than ancient fort walls, the film explores the chasm that divides classes as a young girl struggles to come of age.
Leave your thoughts about Vanaja.
| Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertVanaja, a beautiful and heart-touching film from India, represents a miracle of casting. Every role, including the challenging central role of a low-caste 14-year-old girl, is cast perfectly and played flawlessly. |
| CinematicalChristopher CampbellI wish that I could also highlight the film as the best thesis film I saw in 2007, but with Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep re-released earlier this year, Vanaja unfortunately has to settle for second place. |
| San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandBhukya delivers an entrancing and natural performance, deftly balancing both the wide-eyed childishness of a young girl with the dawning awareness of life's darker possibilities. |
| Combustible CelluloidJeffrey M. AndersonA large chunk of the film's success rests on the shoulders of its young star, Mamatha Bhukya. |
| Seattle TimesTom KeoghVanaja is a timeless story of dignity maintained against all odds. |
| Orlando WeeklyJason FergusonWritten and directed by Rajnesh Domalpalli as his graduate thesis at Columbia University, Vanaja is an engaging and shocking look at class, gender roles and sexuality in rural India. |
| Boston GlobeWesley MorrisIt's not easy to make a very sad movie that doesn't make you want to jump out a window when it's over. Vanaja pulls this off. |
| Chicago ReaderAndrea GronvallRajnesh Domalpalli made this poignant 2006 drama as his thesis film for a master's degree at Columbia University, yet its technique and development of character and theme are far more accomplished than those of most student films. |
| TV GuideMaitland McDonaghSimultaneously resigned, frustrated, cautiously hopeful, angry and ravishingly beautiful, this story of an impoverished country girl who tries to better herself through Indian classical dance is a stunning debut for writer-director Rajnesh Domalpalli. |
| Baltimore SunChris KaltenbachA wondrous piece of filmmaking and a sensitive, engaging movie from a first-time filmmaker working on a shoestring budget with a cast of nonactors. |
