Rajnesh's sensitive film wins Gollapudi memorial award

Chennai, Mar 16 (UNI) The Telugu film ''Vanaja'' directed by debutant director Rajnesh Domaalapalli has fetched the US educated filmaker this year's Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Foundation award, to be presented to him here on August 12.

Announcing this at a press conference, members of the jury, who selected the winner from 17 selected nominations across the country in many languages, eminent film makers like Govind Nihalani, Singeetham Srinivasarao and actor-writer Gollapudi Maruthi Rao said that Rajneesh's film was selected for his ''commitment to craft, choice of subject, casting and overall visual impact''.

''Most of the other entries were also about individual situation.

But Rajnesh's ''Vanaja'', already adjudged as Best Debut film of a Director at the Berlin film festival and the Best Narrative film at the Toronto festival, starts off as a poignant tale of an individual and goes on to portray a common situation in the society'', Mr Nihalani explained.

He said the subject could easily have been made catering to the present box-office or market needs with a star actor or a saleable music director. But Rajneesh has not succumbed to this temptation, he added.

The film has all the elements of a class distinction and has neo-realistic approach making a stunning statement of the director with restraint, said Mr Nihalani, himself known for such artistic works like ''Aakrosh'' and ''Tamas''.

The entries incuded one film in a dialect from Arunachal Pradesh, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Hindi and Kannada, Mr Rao said.

The film would also be screened for the media here on August 11, Mr Rao said.

UNI