New York: An elephant greeted the viewers who came for the premiere of 'Vanaja', an acclaimed debut film of Rajnesh Domalpalli, an IIT engineering graduate who did his masters in film-making from Columbia University in New York.
  
'Vanaja' originally began in 2001 as a first semester thesis project. It later evolved and expanded to incorporate as its central theme, the class distinctions and conflict found so commonly in India. The film, made as part of the MFA thesis requirements got several international awards including best feature debut, Berlin 07.
  
The film revolves around Vanaja (played by Mamatha Bhukya), the 14 year-old girl born into a fisherman family with starry ambitions to become a dancer but whose small beginnings hardly make such aspirations seem attainable. The twists and turns in the story are pegged to this central goal of a teenager. An elephant features in the film, explaining the uncommon reception given to its screening in New York.