JON MENDENHALL writes:
Today I got a chance to watch an amazing Bollywood film, Vanaja. The film is about a 15-year-old lower-caste girl, Vanaja, who begins working for a rich landlady. Vanaja begins learning how to dance and sing to traditional music from the landlady. The landlady's son comes home from the USA and begins to flirt with Vanaja. Their flirting becomes more intense until the son rapes Vanaja.
While this may sound disturbing, the filmmakers cut around the violence to only service the plot. The film did a great job with character development by offering reasons to hate and love the characters. You could even consider the landlady and her son the morally good, depending on the scene. Unlike some Indian film, the film uses the music and dance to helped stir emotions and build tension for Vanja as her story worsens. Vanaja has distribution in America and I would encourage anyone interested in a complex Indian film to see it.
Jon Mendenhall is a Critical Studies major.
Posted by awiens at May 19, 2008 3:00 PM
