Water (2005 film)

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Water

Film poster
Directed by Deepa Mehta
Produced by David Hamilton
Written by Deepa Mehta
Starring Lisa Ray
John Abraham
Seema Biswas
Sarala
Music by A. R. Rahman
Mychael Danna
Cinematography Giles Nuttgens
Editing by Colin Monie
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures (U.S.)
Mongrel Media (Canada)
B.R. Films (India)
Release date(s)
September 8, 2005 (Toronto)
See release dates section
Running time 114 min.
Language Hindi
Preceded by Fire (1996)
Earth (1998)
IMDb profile

Water is an Academy Award-nominated Canadian 2005 film directed and written by Deepa Mehta. It is set in 1938 and explores the lives of widows at an ashram in Varanasi, India. The film is also the third part of a linked trilogy by Mehta, preceded by Fire (1996) and Earth (1998).

The film premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was honoured with the Opening Night Gala, and was released across Canada in November of that year. It was first released in India on March 09, 2007. [1]

The film stars Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas, John Abraham, and Sarala in pivotal roles and Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Waheeda Rehman, Raghuvir Yadav, and Vinay Pathak in supporting roles. The film's score was composed by Mychael Danna, and songs for the film were composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Sukhwinder Singh. Cinematography is by Giles Nuttgens, who has worked with Deepa Mehta on several of her films.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Narayan and Kalyani sitting down near a pond.
Narayan and Kalyani sitting down near a pond.

Water is set in 1938, when India was still under the colonial rule of the British. Following Hindu tradition, the marriage of young girls to older men was commonplace in parts of India. When a man died, his widow would be forced to spend the rest of her life in a widow's ashram, an institution for widows to make amends for the sins from her previous life that supposedly caused her husband's death.

Chuyia (Sarala) is an eight year old girl who has just lost her husband. She is deposited in the ashram for Hindu widows to spend the rest of her life in renunciation. There are fourteen women who live in the small, dilapidated two-storey house built around a central courtyard. The women are sent here to expiate bad karma, as well as to relieve their families of financial and emotional burdens. The ashram is ruled by Madhumati (Manorama), a fat and pompous lady in her 70s. Her only friend is the pimp, Gulabi (Raghuvir Yadav), a sprightly hijra (eunuch) and also a hermaphrodite, who not only keeps Madhumati supplied with ganja, but also with the latest gossip.

The two also have a side business; Gulabi helps Madhumati to prostitute Kalyani (Lisa Ray). Kalyani, who was forced into prostitution as a child to support the ashram, is valued for her beauty, and is the only widow whose hair is not shorn.

Shakuntala (Seema Biswas) is perhaps the most enigmatic of the widows. She is good-looking enough, a sharp, dark person with black-brown eyes. Yet she exudes enough anger that even Madhumati leaves her alone. Quiet and reserved, Shakuntala is caught between her hatred of being a widow and her fear of not being one. Shakuntala is a very devout Hindu who seeks the counsel of Sadananda (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), a gentle-looking priest in his late forties who recites the scriptures to the pilgrims who throng the ghats of the holy city.

Chuyia is convinced that her mother will come to take her away. With that thought firmly tucked in her mind, she quickly adapts to her new life. Madhumati sternly initiates her into widowhood.

Kalyani, praying in a temple before secretly meeting Narayan for the first time
Kalyani, praying in a temple before secretly meeting Narayan for the first time

One day, Kalyani meets Narayan (John Abraham), a young and charming upper-class follower of Mahatma Gandhi and of Gandhism. Upon meeting Kalyani there is an immediate attraction, but the restriction placed on interaction with widows makes it difficult to find a way of pursuing any kind of relationship. Kalyani, also attracted to Narayan, tells him, in deference to tradition, to go away as it is a sin to speak with widows.

Kalyani cannot get the young man she met at the ghats out of her mind and she begins to refuse to oblige Madhumati and her `clients.' Meanwhile, Narayan ponders how he can arrange a clearly forbidden meeting. Narayan finds a way to meet with Kalyani and during a covered buggy ride through the British section of the city, declares his intent to take her away to Calcutta. Kalyani returns to the widows' house and whispers the secret of her wedding plans to Chuyia, who is thrilled at the prospect of a wedding feast where one can eat as many sweets and forbidden food as one desires.

One of Chuyia's many tasks is massaging Madhumati's fat legs. This she does by walking along their spongy length. Brimming over with the suppressed secret of the imminent marriage and all the puri that she will eat, she blurts out the couple's secret to Madhumati.

Consequently, all hell breaks loose at the house for Hindu widows. Suddenly Kalyani's resistance to being ferried across the waters by Madhumati's pimp makes sense. Not only has Madhumati lost a source of income, but also the disgrace of a widow's re-marriage will doom them all to seven lifetimes of being re-born as jackals. Madhumati menacingly enters Kalyani's isolated hovel, throws her to the floor, shears her long black hair, and locks her up until she 'comes to her senses'. Shakuntala, over the protests of the other widows, unlocks the door to Kalyani's room. It's a quiet act of rebellion that leaves everyone speechless.

A liberated Kalyani walks out of the house, Madhumati's booming voice following her. Kalyani bathes in the ghats, and walks to the small deserted temple where Narayan is waiting for her. Narayan fingers her shorn hair and asks her in a whisper once again if she will marry him. Narayan takes Kalyani to his parents' house, but upon reaching his father's home, Kalyani begins to recognize the gates of the portico and asks Narayan for the full name of his father. He replies but is perplexed when Kalyani demands that he turn the boat around.

It is revealed that it is Narayan's father who had used Kalyani as a prostitute and Kalyani drowns herself in grief. She is replaced by Chuyia as the prostitute for Narayan's father. In a state of despair, Narayan leaves his father's house to join Mahatma Gandhi (Mohan Jhangiani, actor; Zul Vilani, voice). As he is leaving on the train, Shakuntala gives him Chuyia, pleading with him to put her under the care of Gandhi.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Credits

[edit] Cast

[edit] Crew

[edit] Awards

Winner:

Nominated:

[edit] Music

The music in the film was composed by A. R. Rahman and Mychael Danna. The songs were composed by A. R. Rahman whilst the background score was composed by Mychael Danna. A.R.Rahman has rated this as his only album which he would give a 10/10. The album has 20 songs in total, 15 Instrumental pieces by Mychael Danna and 5 Hindi songs composed by A.R. Rahman with lyrics by Sukhwinder Singh [4] . The soundtrack was released by international label, Varèse Sarabande. However, Water will be distributed in India by Sony BMG.

[edit] Track listing

Water soundtrack cover
Water soundtrack cover
  1. House Of Widows - 5:19
  2. Chuyia Explores - 1:42
  3. Where Is She? - 0:58
  4. Chan Chan** - 5:16
  5. Kaalu - 2:28
  6. Can't Go Home - 1:11
  7. Piya Ho** - 6:02
  8. Ladoo Dreams - 1:11
  9. Funeral - 0:59
  10. Carriage - 2:06
  11. Fatty - 0:52
  12. Naina Neer Bahai** - 4:58
  13. Kalyani Leaves - 2:21
  14. Shyam Rang Me** - 5:10
  15. Turn The Boat Around - 1:33
  16. Walk Into River - 2:55
  17. Chuyia Is Gone - 2:35
  18. Vaishnava Jana To - 3:03
  19. Train - 3:28
  20. Across The River - 5:35

[edit] Release dates

Region Release date Festival or Distributor
Canada September 8, 2005 Mongrel Media
U.S.A October 2, 2005 South Asian Literary and Theater Arts Festival
Spain October 2, 2005 Valladolid International Film Festival
Canada November 4, 2005
Australia April 13, 2006 Dendy Films
U.S.A April 19, 2006 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
U.S.A April 26, 2006 Indianapolis International Film Festival
U.S.A April 28, 2006 Fox Searchlight Pictures
Switzerland August 15, 2006 Filmcoopi Zurich AG
India March 9, 2007 B.R. Films


The film debuted on September 8, 2005 at the Toronto International Film Festival and opened in other theatres at the dates given above. After several controversies surrounding the film in India, the Indian censor boards cleared the film with a "U" certificate. It was released in India on March 9, 2007 [5].

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Events during production in Varanasi, India

Mehta had originally intended to direct Water in February, 2000, with the actors Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das and Akshay Kumar. Her earlier film, Fire, however, had previously attracted hostility from some people in the Hindu community who objected to her subject matter and had organized attacks on cinemas that screened that film. Thus, the day before filming of Water was due to begin, the crew was informed that there were complications with gaining location permits. The following day, they learned that 2,000 protesters had stormed the ghats, destroying the main film set, burning and throwing it into the Ganges in protest of what they falsely were led to believe was the film's subject matter. [6].

The resulting tensions meant that Mehta struggled for many years to make Water and was forced to make it in Sri Lanka rather than India. [7]. She eventually made the film, with a new cast, and a new title (River Moon) in 2003. The struggle to make the film was detailed in a non-fiction book, Shooting Water: A Mother-Daughter Journey and the Making of the Film, written by Mehta's daughter, Devyani Saltzman (whose father is Canadian producer and director Paul Saltzman). [8]

[edit] Novel

Author Bapsi Sidhwa wrote the 2006 novel based upon the film, Water: A Novel, published by Milkweed Press. Sidhwa's earlier novel, Cracking India was the basis for Earth, the second film in the trilogy.

[edit] Trivia

  • In the film, all the characters speak in Hindi. However, eight-year-old Sarala, a Sri Lankan who played Chuyia, did not know Hindi, and therefore had to commit all her lines to memory. She also did not speak English, so Deepa Mehta had to give her directions via a Sinhalese interpreter. [1]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/09/arts/AS-A-E-MOV-India-Widow-Film.php
  2. ^ Utpal Borpujari (2005). Seema Biswas wins top Canadian film award for Water. Deccan Herald. Retrieved on 23 March 2006.
  3. ^ Patrick Frater (2006). Water' sweeps over Bangkok fest. Variety. Retrieved on 23 March 2006.
  4. ^ Varèse Sarabande Records (2005). Varèse Sarabande Product Details - Water. Varèse Sarabande. Retrieved on 22 March 2006.
  5. ^ http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2007/mar/09water.htm
  6. ^ http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/28/water.html
  7. ^ http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/28/water.html
  8. ^ JASMINE YUEN-CARRUCAN. The Politics of Deepa Mehta's Water. Retrieved on 8 May 2006.

[edit] External links

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