Vanaja

Bhukya 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.

Vanaja is a timeless story of dignity maintained against all odds.

This is heart-wrenching Indian drama in the vein of Deepa Mehta's recent Water, again dealing with a young girl trying to find her self-worth in the midst of a repressive caste system and physical abuse.

VANAJA shines with its nice cast and a grounded, calm style. But even though I really liked some moments a lot, overall the film never really caught my attention and in the end it seemed too frayed and arbitrary.