Water (2005 film)

Infobox Film
name = Water


caption = Film poster
director = Deepa Mehta
producer = David Hamilton
writer = Deepa Mehta
starring = Seema Biswas
Lisa Ray
John Abraham
Sarala Kariyawasam
Manorama
music = A. R. Rahman
Mychael Danna
cinematography = Giles Nuttgens
editing = Colin Monie
distributor = Fox Searchlight Pictures (U.S.)
Mongrel Media (Canada)
B.R. Films (India)
released =

September 8, 2005 (Toronto)

"See release dates section"
runtime = 114 min.
language = Hindi
budget =
preceded_by = "Fire" (1996)
"Earth" (1998)
followed_by =
imdb_id = 0240200

"Water" ( _hi. वाटर), 2005, is a Canadian 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. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/09/arts/AS-A-E-MOV-India-Widow-Film.php Oscar-nominated film "Water" released in India 7 years after protests shut down filming - International Herald Tribune ] ]

The film stars Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham, and Sarala Kariyawasam 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.

Synopsis

"Water" is set during the period of the British Raj or British Indian Empire in the year 1938, when India was still under colonial rule by the British.

Following Hindu tradition during that period, the marriage of young girls to older men was commonplace in certain parts of India. When a man hailing from an orthodox Hindu family died, his young widow would be forced to spend the rest of her life in an institution for widows called a widow's ashram in order to make amends for the sins from her previous life which supposedly caused her husband's death.

Chuyia (Sarala Kariyawasam) is a 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-story 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 transvestite, 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), the now second youngest of the widows, by taking her across the water to the customers. Kalyani was forced into prostitution as a child to support the ashram. She 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, a sharp, dark person with black-brown eyes. She is also one of the few widows who can read. 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 a sincere, devout widow. 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. It is him who makes Shakuntala aware of her situation, eventually giving her the necessary intellectual input to separate true faith from the hypocrisy and superstition that makes her and the other widows' lives a misery.

Chuyia is convinced that her stay is a temporary one, and that her mother will come to take her away. With that thought firmly tucked in her mind and most other widows tolerating a certain quantity of unconventional behavior in the young girl, she quickly adapts to her new life. Madhumati sternly initiates her into widowhood.One day, with Chuyia as an agent, 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 manages to contact Kalyani via Chuyia as a messenger, and finds a way to meet with her. During a covered buggy ride through the British section of the city, he 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 asks her in a whisper if she will marry him. Narayan ferries Kalyani across the water 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, unable to voice the reasons for her change of mind.

His father reveals to Narayan that it was he who had used Kalyani as a prostitute. Deeply disappointed, Narayan leaves his father's house to join Mahatma Gandhi (Mohan Jhangiani, actor; Zul Vilani, voice). He arrives at the ashram to take Kalyani with him, only to find out that Kalyani has drowned herself in grief.

Madhumati sends Chuyia away with Gulabi, as the next prostitute for Narayan's father. Shakuntala finds out and runs out to prevent the worst, but she only arrives at the shore in time for Chuyia's return. Cradling Chuyia, she spends the night sitting at the shore. Walking through town with traumatized Chuyia on her arms she hears about Gandhi being at the train station, ready to leave town. Intuitively, she follows the crowd to receive his blessing before his departure. As the train is departing, in an act of despair, Shakuntala runs along the train, asking people to take Chuyia with them, and to put them under the care of Gandhi. She spots Narayan on the train and in a last effort gives Chuyia to him. The train departs, taking Chuyia into a brighter future, under her new name Neha..

Controversies

Events during production in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

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 the right-wing elements of the Indian polity, which objected to her subject matter and portrayal of conservative households in a negative light. Protestors organized protests and attacks on cinemas that screened that film.

The day before filming of "Water" was due to begin, the crew was informed that there were complications with their location permits for filming. The following day, they learned that 2,000 protesters had stormed the ghats, destroying and burning the main film set and throwing the remnants into the Ganges in protest of what ultimately were revealed to be false accusations regarding the subject matter of the film.

The resulting tensions and economic setbacks led to several years of struggle as Mehta was eventually forced to film "Water" in Sri Lanka, rather than in India. Finally Mehta was able to make the film, but with a new cast and under a false title ("River Moon") in 2003. The struggle to make the film was detailed by Mehta's daughter, Devyani Saltzman, in a non-fiction book, "Shooting Water: A Mother-Daughter Journey and the Making of the Film".cite web | author=Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan | year=| title="The Politics of Deepa Mehta's Water"| url=http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/28/water.html | work= | accessdaymonth=8 May | accessyear=2006 ]

Credits

Cast

*Seema Biswas as Shakuntala
*Lisa Ray as Kalyani
*John Abraham as Narayan
*Waheeda Rehman as Bhagavati, Narayan's Mother
*Sarala Kariyawasam as Chuyia
*Buddhi Wickrama as Baba
*Ronica Sajnani as Kunti
*Manorama as Madhumati
*Rishma Malik as Snehalata
*Meera Biswas as Gyanvati
*Vidula Javalgekar as Patiraji (auntie)
*Daya Alwis as Saduram
*Raghuvir Yadav as Gulabi
*Vinay Pathak as Rabindra
*Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Sadananda
*Gerson Da Cunha as Seth Dwarkanath
*Mohan Jhangiani as Mahatma Gandhi
*Zul Vilani as Mahatma Gandhi (voice)

Crew

*Director: Deepa Mehta
*Screenplay: Deepa Mehta
*Director: Songs: Vikramaditya Motwane
*Story: Deepa Mehta
*Producer: David Hamilton
*Music: Mychael Danna and A. R. Rahman
*Cinematography: Giles Nuttgens
*Casting:Uma Da Cunha
*Editing: Colin Monie
*Production Design: Eral Kelly
*Art Direction:Sumant Jayakrishnan
*Set Decorator: Rumana Hamied
*Costume Designer: Dolly Ahluwalia
*Assistant Director: Dylan Gray
*Choreographer: Vikramaditya Motwane
*Associate Producer: Marek Posival
*Production Manager: Lylie Almedia
*Executive Producers: Mark Burton and Doug Mankoff

Awards

"Winner":
* 2006, Genie Award for Best Actress, "Seema Biswas"cite web | author=Utpal Borpujari | year=2005 | title="Seema Biswas wins top Canadian film award for Water"| url=http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/mar172006/update134002006317.asp | work= [http://www.deccanherald.com/ Deccan Herald] | accessdaymonth=23 March | accessyear=2006]
* 2006, Genie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography, "Giles Nuttgens"
* 2006, Genie Award for Best Original Score, "Mychael Danna"
* 2006, Golden Kinnaree Award at Bangkok International Film Festival for Best Filmcite web | author=Patrick Frater| year=2006 | title="Water' sweeps over Bangkok fest"| url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117938881?categoryId=1061&cs=1 | work= [http://www.variety.com/ Variety] | accessdaymonth=23 March | accessyear=2006]
* 2006, The Silver Mirror Award at Festival Films from the South in Oslo ( [http://www.filmfrasor.no/ "Film fra sør"] ) for Best Film.

"Nominated":
* 2007: Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (making it Canada's first non-French Canadian film to receive a nomination in that category).

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.cite web | author=Varèse Sarabande Records | year=2005 | title="Varèse Sarabande Product Details - Water"| url=http://www.varesesarabande.com/details.asp?pid=302-066-695-2 | work= [http://www.varesesarabande.com/ Varèse Sarabande] | accessdaymonth=22 March | accessyear=2006] The soundtrack was released by international label, Varèse Sarabande. "Water" is distributed in India by Sony BMG.

Track listing

# House Of Widows - 5:19
# Chuyia Explores - 1:42
# Where Is She? - 0:58
# Aayo Re Sakhi** - 5:16
# Kaalu - 2:28
# Can't Go Home - 1:11
# Piya Ho** - 6:02
# Ladoo Dreams - 1:11
# Funeral - 0:59
# Carriage - 2:06
# Fatty - 0:52
# Naina Neer Bahai** - 4:58
# Kalyani Leaves - 2:21
# Shyam Rang Bhar Do** - 5:10
# Turn The Boat Around - 1:33
# Walk Into River - 2:55
# Chuyia Is Gone - 2:35
# Vaishnava** - 3:03
# Train - 3:28
# Across The River - 5:35

* ** Songs by A. R. Rahman
* ** Lyrics by Sukhwinder Singh

Release dates

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. [ [http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2007/mar/09water.htm Deepa Mehta impresses with Water ] ]

Novel

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

Notes and references

External links

*
* [http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/water/ Official site at Fox Searchlight Films]