Film Review: Water
http://www.businessofcinema.com/index.php?file=story&id=2615 By
Sanjay Ram
9 March 2007, 01:30 AM
Film: Water
Director: Deepa Mehta
Producer: David Hamilton
Cast: Waheeda Rehman, Manorama, Seema Biswas, John Abraham, Lisa Ray, Raghuvir
Yadav, baby Sarala
Rating: 4.5/5
By the banks of the river Ganges, against a politically stirred backdrop
(Gandhian movement), Water sheds light on the plight of widows in the Indian
society.
Married
at a very early age, Chuiya (Sarala) is widowed at the age of eight.
She is brought to the ashram that is meant to house Hindu widows such
as herself. Expected to repent her husbands death during her lifetime
stay at the ashram, she finds it tough to be at ease, alien to all of
it.
It is with Kalyani (Lisa Ray) that little Chuiya is at ease and shares a level
of comfort. The
widows in the ashram manage to sustain life by begging and indulging in
prostitution. In the course of the film, the story moves on to the life
of Kalyani, who might be considered to be the Ashrams main mean of
sustenance. Enter Narayan (John Abraham), who Kalyani sees as her
knight in shining armour. Shocking revelations lead to dire
consequences, but existence dances on.
The
film should at no point be considered as an assault towards any
culture; it merely questions the very same exalted virtues held by us.
It questions the right of existence, the right to equality and moreover
the right to freedom. The film also talks of the hippocratic nature we
hold, manipulating culture and religion to suit our preferences. See it
not as a sermon; see it as a solemn urge to alert us of the hypocrisy
that still prevails.
The
film constantly makes the viewer aware of the period it was set
against, with constant references to Mahatma Gandhi and his actions
during that time. This political weave into the story, not only adds to
the movie experience but additionally also cautions us that from time
immemorial nothing much has changed.
With
vivid colours and great cinematography, the film is both visually and
aesthetically appealing. Well framed and lit scenes bring out the depth
of each character visually. Though there are sudden shots of
brightness; in the larger picture it just does not matter. The scene
where Seema Biswas is seen running on the railway platform with Chuiya
in her hand, pleading Gandhi to take her away is splendid, as it may be
seen as the bind between the political and cultural narratives of the
film. The striking compositions rendered by A R Rehman provide the film
with a sense of impact (considering the fact that music induces a sense
of connection to a character and film).
Child
artist Sarala is a natural and with great acting talent, she brings her
character to life. Biswas leaves no stone unturned in portraying her
character sans any flaws. An actor of great caliber, she manages to
challenge herself each time and win too. Ray delivers her role with
confidence, but does not create magic. The performance of John Abraham
may be considered as one of his best yet.
The
determining factor to the box office success will lie in the hands of
the multiplex goers. The film can be expected to do an average
performance at the box office. Given the fact that the film has seen a
delayed release and pirated versions of the film have been flooding the
market for almost a year now, Water will find it hard to hit
it big on the box office chart. The films viewers will primarily
consist of urban audiences, especially those in cities like Mumbai,
Delhi, Pune and Calcutta.
Water quenches
the thirst of innocence one keeps looking in modern day cinema. It is a
story told with great innocence and enacted by each character with the
same innocence and with complete conviction.
It
is indeed a great and praiseworthy effort by B.R. Films to undertake
the release of the film in India. It is however sad that films like
these find it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. What's
more, even if they do, it is for a stipulated period of time, till
someone raises an issue and the film is pulled off the theatre.
There is a choice, you chose to watch the film or you dont. The choice is also
about your ignorance and conceit. Choose wisely!
A note to the director:
Thank you for this film. It might not take much for eyes to well up, but it
surely takes great cinema to set the tears flowing.
A standing ovation!
