"'Vanaja' has the otherworldly feel of a fairy tale but the bitter content of a drama about class and female exploitation...

...Writer-director Rajnesh Domalpalli — working with a nonprofessional cast and in dreamy, exotic hues — has managed to blur the line between stylized fantasy and dreary realism, coming up with a movie that seems both contemporary and quite old. "Vanaja" is a timeless story of dignity maintained against all odds..."

Full and original article published at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2003907828_vanaja28.html

"...Smartly, [Rajnesh Domalpalli] uses the wisdom in the old actors and the exuberance of the young ones to deepen and lighten up his movie, respectively. It has personality. And personality, ultimately is what dams off the waves of tragedy from crashing over this movie. If Domalpalli keeps this up, he might become something new for movies - a discreet combination of Satyajit Ray and Douglas Sirk."

Full and original article published at: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/09/21/out_of_india_a_servants_forbidden_love/

"Once upon a time in southern India there lived a feisty lower-caste girl named Vanaja, whose hard-drinking father couldn’t properly care for her....

...So begins Rajnesh Domalpalli’s debut film, named for its young heroine, which plays like a rags-to-riches fairy tale...

...the film features strong performances from a mostly nonprofessional cast, a pleasantly muted look reminiscent of cinema made decades ago and some lovely dance sequences, which, contrary to the style of many Indian films, are built firmly into the narrative...

...“Vanaja” is a coming-of-age tale that is engrossing, if slightly overlong, and absolutely timeless, unfolding against an antiquated class system that sadly stands firm in rural areas of India to this day."

Full original review published here: http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/movies/31vana.html?ref=movies