Starring: Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham and Sarala Director: Deepa Mehta
All religions have a dark part of their history which might not be the most celebrated. As time goes on, circumstances change and times change, forcing age-old traditions to vanish. In Water, director Deepa Mehta sheds light on an aspect of Hinduism that is often controversial. In the 1930’s, Hindu widows were forced to adhere to the harsh ways of life forced upon them by society. The film touches upon the prejudice that these women had to endure and provides a ray of hope that symbolizes a better future for Indian widows. The film stars child actress Sarala, Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham and Manorama.
The movie begins with six-year old Chuyia (Sarala) being sent to an ashram, a house for widows. After her the death of her husband whom she had never even met, innocent Chuyia is forced to give up her life as a child and forced to adhere to the traditional and societal customs of a widow. At the ashram, Chuyia meets many other widows; some who become her friends, and others, her enemies. She immediately meets Madhumati (Manorama), the head of the ashram, who initially seems like a sweet lady although her true colours shine through once Chuyia begins to challenge her authority. As a naïve and innocent child, Chuyia is adamant that her stay is only temporary and fails to understand the complexity of her situation and how the death of her husband will eventually affect her life dramatically. After an argument with Madhumati, Chuyia runs off and straight into Shakuntala (Seema Biswas), who eventually becomes a close friend and a mother figure to Chuyia. Kalyani (Lisa Ray) a friendly widow and the sole earner of the ashram, spots the new widow and quickly befriends and comforts her. As the story progresses, much changes in the lives of these widows. Kalyani longs for love from the Gandhi idealist Narayan (John Abraham) as she hopes to leave her life of misery as a widow and start afresh. Shakuntala begins to question her faith on whether widows such as herself were being treated in a fair manner. Chuyia sadly accepts her fate and gives up all hope of living with her family again.
All the performances in Water are nothing short of magnificent. Seema Biswas’ performance is completely beyond words as she conveys so much with so little words. She is fabulous with her expressive eyes. Lisa Ray as Kalyani delivers a nuanced performance that proves she’s more than a pretty face. It’s hard to believe that John Abraham as Narayan is the same man we saw racing around in Dhoom. What works for John is that he delivers something different and he does it quite well too. Manorama is a character you love to hate and pulls off her role exceptionally. Waheeda Rehman as Narayans mother also does justice to her role in the film. All other supporting characters are simply perfect. However, the film would be incomplete without the genuine and truly astounding performance of child actress Sarala as Chuyia. There’s no way one would believe that this little girl can speak neither Hindi nor English and yet she emerges as the star of the show. A round of applause for this brilliant actress, who at such a young age could give half of our heroines a run for their money!
In the third film of her element trilogy, Deepa Mehta goes far beyond her previous work. The sensitivity in which this subject has been filmed comes across appropriately. Although some maintain that Water puts down beliefs of Indian society as well as Hinduism, one must realize that these issues are not a figment of Deepa’s imagination; they are facts and Deepa should be recognized for presenting this dark era in history so beautifully. The final scene where Chuyia is handed over to Narayan, leaves you with a feeling of hope for the future. If the film had ended on a tragic note, it would not have been as effective. This scene is a symbol of the change that widows in Indian society have gone through since the 1930’s. The incorporation of Gandhi into the story is also very well done.The dialogues of the film are extremely subtle yet powerful. A.R. Rahman never fails to create music that flows unbelievably well with the film. Visually, the film looks classy through and through. Costumes are simple and true to the theme of the movie.
No film is perfect, and Water is no exception. Many viewers will complain that the film drags on and the narrative progresses slowly. Although the songs were composed very well, they were not absolutely necessary. Narayan’s character was slightly underdeveloped. Most definitely, Water is not a film for the masses. It caters to a certain section of viewers of the audience.
Water is film that can certainly be called magnificent in the eyes of critics as well cinema lovers. Kudos to Deepa Mehta for providing us with another inspiring film that surely surpassed the expectations of many! I look forward to many more works of art from Mehta. Although not every viewer may enjoy the film it definitely deserves a watch!
All religions have a dark part of their history which might not be the most celebrated. As time goes on, circumstances change and times change, forcing age-old traditions to vanish. In Water, director Deepa Mehta sheds light on an aspect of Hinduism that is often controversial. In the 1930’s, Hindu widows were forced to adhere to the harsh ways of life forced upon them by society. The film touches upon the prejudice that these women had to endure and provides a ray of hope that symbolizes a better future for Indian widows. The film stars child actress Sarala, Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham and Manorama. 
