Water (2005/I)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Deepa Mehta

Writers:

Anurag Kashyap (dialogue)
Deepa Mehta (writer)

Release Date:

28 April 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

The film examines the plight of a group of widows forced into poverty at a temple in the holy city of Varanasi. It focuses on a relationship between one of the widows, who wants to escape the social restrictions imposed on widows, and a man who is from the highest caste and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi.

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Tradition | India | Love | Ashram

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 10 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Sarala	...	Chuyia
Buddhi Wickrama	...	Baba
Rinsly Weerarathne	...	Chuyia's Husband
Iranganie Serasinghe	...	Mother in Law (as Iranganee Serasinghe)
Hermantha Gamage	...	Barber
Ronica Sajnani	...	Kunti
Manorama	...	Madhumati (as Manorma)
Rishma Malik	...	Snehalata
Meera Biswas	...	Gyanvati
Vidula Javalgekar	...	Patiraji aka Auntie (as Dr. Vidula Javalgekar)
Seema Biswas	...	Shakuntala
Lisa Ray	...	Kalyani
Sanoja Bibile	...	Woman Bather
Dolly Ahluwalia	...	Upset Woman (as Dolly Ahluwalia Tewari)
John Abraham	...	Narayan

Also Known As:

River Moon (Canada: English title) (fake working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexual situations, and for brief drug use.

Runtime:

USA:117 min | Canada:114 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Argentina:117 min

Country:

Canada | India

Language:

Hindi

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Australia:M | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Germany:12 | New Zealand:M | India:U | Norway:A | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Central Province, Sri Lanka

Company:

Deepa Mehta Films

Trivia:

Third film in Deepa Mehta's "elemental trilogy," which began with Fire (1996) and continued with Earth (1998).

Goofs:

Continuity: Kalyani's dog appears older in the scene in which it escapes than the next time it is shown.

Quotes:

Bhagavati: God willing she'll reborn as a man.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Chan Chan

Deep water for traditionalists

This beautiful and poignant film also packs quite a punch; the sorry plight of Hindu widows in traditional Indian society is made evident. Deepa Mehta has clearly set out to make a film with a message but she lets the story carry the message and she does not demonize the supporters of ancient oppressive practices, some of whom are motivated by faith rather than self-interest. Strangely the film's beauty undercuts to some extent the political message: I can imagine a devout Hindu seeing it as supporting the traditional view.

As explained in the film, according to ancient texts a Hindu widow had three choices; she could join her husband on his funeral pyre, she could marry his younger brother (if available) or she could go into an Ashram (refuge) with other widows and live a life of self-denial to atone for the sin of having lost her husband.. It is the third option Chuyia (Sarala) takes on the death of her husband in 1938. Chuyia however is only nine years old and scarcely remembers getting married.

The Ashram is a poor place, self-supported by the proceeds of begging and prostitution, but there is camaraderie amongst the women (who are of all ages) and Chuyia, initially, is not badly treated. The focus shifts to Kalyani (Lisa Ray) the Ashram's "jewel" who becomes involved with a young political activist Narayana (John Abraham), a supporter of Gandhi.

The film is not so much an attack on religion as on particular beliefs. I've no doubt one could live the life of a devout Hindu without believing that widows are responsible for their husband's deaths just as one can be a devout Christian without believing in slavery, or that the earth is flat, or was created in 4004BC. Although the film is set just prior to World War 2 there are undoubtedly many supporters of the ancient texts still out there – Mehta was prevented from filming in India by some of them and "Water" was eventually filmed in Sri Lanka. I find it impossible to have any sympathy for their position because it really amounts to using the practices of a society which has long passed away to defend an economic interest, or rather to excuse the abandonment by her family of a woman who has had the ill-luck to lose her husband. As Chuyia asks, where is the Ashram for the widowers? Also, whatever could be said for child marriage on social or economic grounds 2000 years ago, there is no possible justification for it now.

It's a great pity the film was banned in India and Pakistan – it is a film for the citizens of those countries rather than me, but it is striking to watch and I suspect, not easy to forget.