Shakuntla (Seema Biswas) is another enigmatic character who occasionally opposes the tyranny of Madhumati and is mostly quiet and composed until the very end of the movie. Narayan (John Abraham) is a follower of Gandhi who falls in love with Kalyani, regardless of her status as a widow. Ironically, she is sent to work by crossing the Ganges. Kalyani is the beautiful young widow who befriends Chuhiya. Madhumati (Manorama), the perceived head of the ashram who exploits other women and pimps the young widow Kalyani (Lisa Ray) to the higher caste rich men. The audience is given the eyes and ears of Chuhiya who encounters a mixed group of widows at the Ashram. Chuhiya is forced to wear white sari for the rest of her life simply as a consequence of being a widow. Based on the ancient customs of widowhood among Hindus, her head is shaved. Chuhiya(Sarla), a seven year old child is forced to live in an Ashram with house full of widows after her husband dies a natural death due to old age. A woman who is unfaithful to her husband is reborn in the womb of a jackal.” The text is borrowed from real life elements and sets the stage for what to expect in the next 114 minutes.ĭeepa Mehta brings the audience into the world of unfortunate widows who happen to lose their husbands before India’s Independence. A virtuous wife who remains chaste when her husband has died goes to heaven. “A widow should be long suffering until death, self-restrained and chaste. The text informs the audience of a belief system. The storyline may be based on fictional characters but the direction makes them come to life.ĭeepa Mehta begins the movie by citing the laws of Manu, written in Ancient Indian scripture “Dharmashastra” that used to be the deciding factor of an Indian woman’s fate. It demonstrates why Gandhi started a revolution against misogyny, child marriage, suicide and the mistreatment of women as a part of India’s struggle for independence. Though it is a work of fiction, Water paints a very real picture of several issues faced by women in India in 1938. Water is based on a compelling novel written by Bapsi Sidhwa. Uncovers yet another controversial issue from the history of Indian Subcontinent. After the success of Fire (1996) and Earth (1998), Deepa Mehta Water, released in 2005, was the most critically successful of the elements Trilogy films made by Deepa Mehta.
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