Popular reviews

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  Review by Vayunandan🔭 ★★★★★ 1

  I stopped rating films recently because I found the system of rating a movie so illogical. But for this movie this rating is most needed as I want more people to watch this movie. I'm not recommending, I'm requesting everyone who is reading this review to watch this movie. I exactly don't know if you like this movie as I do but please watch it.

  Probably my favourite Telugu movie , my favourite indian movie after Aparjito. But I think I'm going to watch this a hell lot of times. And also I'm really not writing a long , in-depth review because I know most people don't read everything I write so I kept this review short , saying everything I wanted.

  PLEASE WATCH THIS MOVIE. Will you 👉👈🥺🥺

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  Review by Vinoth ★★★★½

  This film comes under what might you've to call neorealism or Victorian fiction, it is about a fourteen-year-old contented girl who becomes like a rag to the zamindar's atrociousness. The narration builds on Vanaja's progression of inner maturity due to things she faces in an archaic class system that still sadly stands strict in some rural areas of India to this day.

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  Review by Ben Millett ★★★★

  Extremely well-done student film (for director's Masters degree). The dance sequences are phenomenal and are one of the strongest components of the film. Themes of revenge and rape figure prominently, as well as mother-child roles.

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  Review by Varghese ★★★½

  It's a bit too long for my taste but most importantly it has strong performances, the dance sequences are brilliant and the various themes of the movie; class divide and gender roles are shown in a realistic manner. A touching film on all counts.

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  Review by Sinch ★★½

  this film makes me a little jealous because i just submitted my dissertation and elsewhere somebody else submitted this as part of their degree. absolutely amazing that this is a student film! i think it deals with things head on while simultaneously being subtle and not so subtle and that works really well for a story like this.

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  Review by sandeepvpragada ★★★★ 2

  A rural drama on the basis of social realism.
  It takes you to the world where you were never been and it questions your empathy it shows how people are actually tied up to so called stereotypes and moreover it's a moving subject.
  Beautifully written and shot. Brilliant efforts by the cast and crew. Especially the lighting in frames and shot composition were just breathtaking. So glad that a film like this was already made in telugu years back, lets hope one day it will see the light.
  "An artistic achievement"
  (Available in youtube with attached English subtitles)

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  Review by JijaSays 2

  ศิลปะการเต้นรำของอินเดียนี่เร้าใจและสื่อสารด้วยภาษากาย-สายตาได้ดีจังเลยนะ ซีนที่เสนอการเปลี่ยนแปลงทางทักษะ มุมคิด และความรู้สึกของ Vanaja (Mamatha Bhukya) ด้วยศิลปะการร่ายรำนับเป็นไฮไลต์ของหนัง

  ระหว่างดู รู้สึกว่าชีวิตของ Vanaja น่าติดตาม แต่ถามตัวเองว่าทำไมหงุดหงิดจัง ได้คำตอบเองว่าเพราะอึดอัดกับการตัดสินใจที่ไม่เคยช่วยให้ชีวิตของเธอเองดีขึ้นเลย ต้องเตือนตัวเองว่านี่คือเด็กหญิงอายุ 15 ปีที่ไม่มีบุพการีนำทาง (พ่อเมาสะบัดเป็นภาระต้องหาเลี้ยง) ไม่มีการศึกษาที่ดี และขาดประสบการณ์ชีวิตในสังคมที่ไม่ได้เอื้อเฟื้อผู้หญิง โดยเฉพาะผู้หญิงวรรณะต่ำ มันเป็นคอมโบที่ทำให้เธอตัดสินใจแปลก ๆ (แต่มีเหตุผลส่วนตัวรับรองเสมอ) เมื่อทางเลือกมีไม่มากนัก

  แต่ Vanaja ก็มีสัญชาตญาณที่ไม่ยอมสยบง่ายดาย เราชอบที่เธอกล่าวชัดเจนว่าฉันจะไม่ยอมเป็น (ชื่อตัวละครคนใช้ผู้มีทาส mindset) คนใหม่เป็นอันขาด! โถ อีหนูสู้ตายลูก

  คิดไปเองหรือเปล่าไม่รู้ แต่ Shekhar Babu (Karan Singh) หล่อจัดน่ารับประทานมากในซีนต้น ๆ 🤤 แต่พอพฤติกรรมเหี้ยแล้วลุคดูแย่ลงเรื่อย ๆ เลย ตั้งใจแหละนึ

  เครดิตขึ้นว่าหนังเป็นผลงานส่งเพื่อจบปริญญา (โทมั้ง?) ของผู้กำกับ Rajnesh Domalpalli ว้าวนะ ดูมืออาชีพเลย หนังคว้ารางวัล Best Debut จาก Berlin ด้วย ไม่ธรรมดา ก็น่าเสียดายที่ไม่เห็นเขามีผลงานกำกับภาพยนตร์อีกเลย

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  Review by SCP_5073 ★★★★

  Very powerful film with lots and lots of discomfort.

  
  There's a ton of heavy stuff to unpack from "Vanaja". From gender discrimination to class politics; from sexual assault to pedophilia; it covers a wide range of issues that should never be swept under the rug.

  
  Mamatha Bhukya is a fantastic actor. Much like her dance performances in the film, she handled the depth and weight of her character with such grace and confidence. Her facial expression during the final dance was my favourite part of the last few minutes; being able to convey that much emotion must've been a difficult balance to maintain.

  
  I think the character of Vanaja also helped to bring up a key perspective regarding "people pleasers".…

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  Review by theymayyi ★★★★★

  One of the best telugu movies I have ever seen. Mamatha Bhukya’s performance really puts you in a trance. I cant believe she had only learned dance and acting for less than a year prior to filming Vanaja.  The complexity of all the characters is so perfectly crafted, from Vanaja’s father to Radhamma, no character is without their vices and virtues. I especially appreciated the healthy female friendship Vanaja and Lacchi shared; it’s rare that films properly portray a friendship between two women based entirely on supporting and caring for one another without the influence of men.

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  Review by Balaji Pothula ★★★★★

  Whenever I felt bored,I watch this. I enjoy each and every dialogue how each character delivered in most simplistic way and the music/sound is great asset to feel bliss. "సరసుడ జాగేలరా! రమణి ని పొగడగా రయమున రా రా!!" These above lines are ❤️

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  Review by Sean-Paul ★★★★★

  “Did I ever tell you that he looked like a crow? If only he had been fairer he could have been a dove.” - Somayya  

  I normally don’t pass such a sentence lightly. However, this is probably one of the best film that I’ve had the privilege to absorb. The story evolves around a 15 year old girl, Vanaja, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. She is brought in to work for a landlady’s estate, and soon starts taking lessons from the landlady herself on the art of the Kuchipudi dance, with the bases of Carnatic classical music (South Indian Classical). Over time the film leads to it’s own tragedies and heartbreak while remaining firm in honesty. A down-to-earth…

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  Review by Bryter Layter ★★★★★

  What a wonderful find on a lazy Sunday evening ! The moment this movie starts, Vanaja draws you in the world of social taboos, caste system and the indomitable human spirit to rebel against the conditions pitted against them.
  Its truly remarkable how Rajnesh Domalpalli's debut movie, which was his submission for his Master of Fine Arts thesis, made with a limited budget and non-professional actors, has overcome the financial constraints with a flawless script and outstanding performance . The choreography and music complement the movie beautifully while the stunning visuals is a delight.

  The finest element in the movie is undoubtedly the flawless story telling, character development and believable real characters with depth and layers. Vanaja is not a…