With no knowledge prior to watching this movie, I delved into a Deepa Metha project. Immediately your attention is grabbed moving rather quickly through the initial plot. As the director, Deepa Metha, explained in the “making of the movie, Water“, she wanted the camera to be observational, not obtrusive or commanding. Her vision paid off with honest performances from several well known Indian actors. Simple yet elegant camera angles and vivid color scenes added in-between the dull, harder to swallow moments added to the already interesting story.

The film is shot in Hindi but, of course, is watchable with English subtitles. Seven years in the making, protests, death threats and campaigns designed to keep the set shut down, required extra effort on Deepa’s part to finally bring her passion to the screen. A basic background in Indian culture is helpful yet not required to enjoy this film.

A thesis picture. In 1938, Gandhi’s party is making inroads in women’s rights. Chuyia, a child already married but living with her parents, becomes a widow. By tradition, she is unceremoniously left at a bare and impoverished widows’ ashram, beside the Ganges during monsoon season. The ashram’s leader pimps out Kalyani, a young and beautiful widow, for household funds. Narayan, a follower of Gandhi, falls in love with her. Can she break with tradition and religious teaching to marry him? The ashram’s moral center is Shakuntala, deeply religious but conflicted about her fate. Can she protect Kalyani or Chuyia? Amid all this water, is rebirth possible or does tradition stifle all? Source- IMDb.com