About a year ago I reviewed Amu, a very fine film by an
Indian-American graduate of Columbia University. So when I received a
press release on Vanaja, another film with such a pedigree, I was
anxious to see it. I can now report that Vanaja, produced and directed
by Rajnesh Domalpalli for his MFA, is a stunning achievement. As a study
of caste oppression in India, it reflects the same kind of political
commitment as Amu, which focused on the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984. But
both films are not just political statements. They are also superb
stories with very fine performances by nonprofessionals. Although I am
no expert on student films, it strikes me that Vanaja might be the
most accomplished example of such work, as recognized by the Berlin Film
Festival last year.
Vanaja is the 14 year old daughter of a lower-caste fisherman who is
forced by economic circumstances to go to work as the servant of a local
landowner named Rama Devi, an elderly woman who is an expert in
Kuchipudi dance. Since Vanaja has a passion for the Kuchipudi art-form,
she implores the mistress to train her. The humiliation and pain are
almost as great as that suffered by Uma Thurman in her training by an
elderly martial arts master in Kill Bill 2?.
full: http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/vanaja/
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