Movies - Water

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	Movies - Water

Water is a 2005 movie by Deepa Mehta starring Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas, John Abraham and Sarala in pivotal roles. It also stars Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Waheeda Rehman, Raghuvir Yadav, Manorama and Vinay Pathak in supporting roles. Set in the 1930s, it deals with India's road to independence and examines the plight of impovershed widows at a temple in Varanasi, India. The film's score was composed by Mychael Danna whilst the songs in the film were composed by A.R. Rahman with lyrics by Sukhwinder Singh. Cinematography for the film is handled by Giles Nuttgens who has worked with Deepa Mehta in all her movies. The film debuted on September 8, 2005 at the Toronto International Film Festival and is slated to arrive at theatres in the United States on the 28th of April, 2006. The film is distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures in the United States.

Synopsis

Water is set in 1938, when India was still under the colonial rule of the British, and when the marriage of children to older men was commonplace. When a man died, his widow would be forced to spend the rest of her life in an ashram, an institution for widows to make amends for the sins from her previous life that supposedly caused her husband's death.

Chuyia (Sarala) is a young girl who has just lost her husband. She is deposited in the house of Hindu widows (an ashram) to spend the rest of her life in renunciation. There are 14 women who live in the house for Hindu widows, a small, dilapidated two-storey house built around a central courtyard. The women are sent here to expiate bad karma, but more often than not, to relieve their families of financial and emotional burden. 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 hermaphrodite, 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).

Kalyani is breathtaking, and the only widow whose hair - as a nod to her profession - is not shorn. Shakuntala (Seema Biswas) is perhaps the most enigmatic of the widows. She is good-looking enough, a sharp, dark person with secret black-brown eyes. Her generous mouth has an anger set to it. Even Madhumati leaves her alone. Quiet and reserved, Shakuntala is caught between her hatred of being a widow and her fear of not being one. Shakuntala is a very devout Hindu who seeks the counsel of Sadananda (Khulbushan Kharbanda), a gentle-looking priest in his late forties who recites the scriptures to the pilgrims who throng the ghats of the holy city. Chuyia is convinced that her mother will come to take her away. With that thought firmly tucked in her mind, she quickly adapts to her new life with the unique resilience of children. Madhumati sternly initiates her into widowhood.

One day, Kalyani meets a young and charming upper-class follower of Gandhi's 'Quit India Movement', Narayan (John Abraham). 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, in deference to tradition tells him 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 finds a way to meet with Kalyani and during a covered buggy ride through the British section of the city, 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.

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Movies - Water

Synopsis

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