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Star Cast
Water
Sarala
Chuyia
Buddhi Wickrama
Baba
Rinsly Weerarathne
Chuyia's Husband
Iranganie Serasinghe
Mother in Law (as Iranganee Serasinghe)
Hermantha Gamage
Barber
Ronica Sajnani
Kunti
Manorama
Madhumati (as Manorma)
Rishma Malik
Snehalata
Meera Biswas
Gyanvati
Vidula Javalgekar
Patiraji aka Auntie (as Dr. Vidula Javalgekar)
Seema Biswas
Shakuntala
Lisa Ray
Kalyani
Sanoja Bibile
Woman Bather
Dolly Ahluwalia
Upset Woman (as Dolly Ahluwalia Tewari)
John Abraham
Narayan
Waheeda Rehman
Bhagavati, Narayan's Mother
Daya Alwis
Saduram
Raghuvir Yadav
Gulabi
Vinay Pathak
Rabindra
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Sadananda
Delon Weerasinghe
Priest
Seema
Bahu-Rani
Francisca Mudannayake
Little Girl
Mulchand Dedhia
Vendor
Isuru Navodya
Young Patiraji
Niroshan Wijesinghe
Patiraji's Groom
Gerson Da Cunha
Seth Dwarkanath
Vasant Nath
Young Gandhi Follower
Mohan Jhangiani
Mahatma Gandhi
Zul Vilani
Mahatma Gandhi (voice)
Kumari Dissanayake
Widow
S. Thevanamma
Widow
Seelawathie Silva
Widow
Siththi Ummah
Widow
Fowzie Inaya
Widow
Mala Meenachchi
Widow
A.A. Premawathie
Widow
Nazeema Farlya
Widow
T. Mageswari
Widow
H. Pathiranage
Widow
S. Pooneswary
Widow
S. Parameshawari
Widow
S. Santhanam Mary
Widow
S. Rajeshwari
Widow
View All
Director:
Deepa MehtaProducer:
David HamiltonMusic:
Mychael Danna, A.R. RahmanStory:
Deepa MehtaGenres:
Drama, RomanceCertification:
Parental guidance suggestedStatus:
CompletedSoundmix:
Dolby DigitalAlso known as:
Water: The Movie (UK)
Plot Summary
Water
The year is 1938, India is ruled by the British, and it is around this time that Mohandas K. Gandhi has arrived from Africa to begin his tryst with the British, as well as battle the traditions that bind the Hindus. Not yet in her teens, Chuyia is married to a much older and sickly male, who shortly after the marriage, passes away.
Chuyia is returned unceremoniously to her parents' house, and from there she is taken to the holy city of Banaras and left in the care of a wide assortment of widows who live at "the widows' house," shunned by the rest of the community. Chuyia believes that her mother will come to take her home. Here she meets several elderly women, including the head of the house, Madhumati; a quiet, confident woman named Shakuntala; and a gorgeous young woman named Kalyani -- all widows.
Chuyia does not know that according to Holy Hindu Scriptures she has been destined to live here for the rest of her life, for when a woman's husband dies', she has three options: One, to marry her husband's younger brother, if his family permits; two, to kill herself on his funeral pyre; three, to live a life of celibacy, discipline, and solitude amongst her own kind.
A new law in India which permits a widow to re-marry is not popular, and it is these customs and openly welcoming the lower castes that will pit Gandhiji against his very own people, apart from struggling with the British to leave India. Kalyani meets and falls in love with young Narayan, a follower of Mahatma Gandh
Goofs
Water
- Continuity: Kalyani's dog appears older in the scene in which it escapes than the next time it is shown.
- Continuity: In the scene when Chuiya is first running up the steps after Kaalu, she is barefoot. When the camera switches perspectives, she has a pair of sandals on. In the next frame, she is barefoot again.
Trivias
Water
- Third film in Deepa Mehta's "elemental trilogy," which began with Fire (1996) and continued with Earth (1998).
- Shoot in Varanasi was stopped due to threats and demonstrations orchestrated by Hindu fundamentalist groups supported by the leadership of the state government in Uttar Pradesh.
- George Lucas took out a full-page ad in "Variety" to support Deepa Mehta in her struggle to make this film when Indian authorities made clear their intentions to shut the production down.
- Shooting was disrupted by extremist forces in 2000.
- Four years after production was shut down in India, filming resumed in Sri Lanka. The movie was shot under the fake title "Full Moon" to avoid attention.
- For the role of Chuyia, Mehta auditioned 50 girls.
- Famous Indian actors Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das, who were the initial choices for the roles of Shakuntala and Kalyani even shot some scenes for this movie. However, that footage was scrapped as the filming could not be finished due to altercations by Hindu Fundamentalists.
- Although Lisa Ray speaks Hindi, it is not her mother tongue. She worked on her diction to perfect the dialog.
- 'Sarala' was cast in Sri Lanka and did not speak a word of Hindi or English. She worked hard on the script to memorize the lines of a language very new to her.
- Deepa Mehta's mother saw John Abraham in the movie Jism (2003) and liked him so much that she asked Deepa to consider him for a role in this film.
Awards
Water
- Youth Jury Award
Event: Valladolid International Film Festival
Result: Won
Category: Competition
Recipient(s): Deepa Mehta - Golden Kinnaree Award
Event: Bangkok International Film Festival
Result: Won
Category: Best Film
Recipient(s): Deepa Mehta - Genie
Event: Genie Awards
Result: Won
Category: Best Achievement in Cinematography
Recipient(s): Giles Nuttgens - Freedom of Expression Award
Event: National Board of Review, USA
Result: Won
Category:
Recipient(s): - VFCC Award
Event: Vancouver Film Critics Circle
Result: Won
Category: Best Actress - Canadian Film
Recipient(s): Lisa Ray - Young Artist Award
Event: Young Artist Award
Result: Won
Category: Best International Family Feature Film
Recipient(s):