Water
Directed by Deepa Mehta.
Starring Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas, Sarala, John Abraham, Kulbushan Kharbanda
and Raghuvir Yadav as Gulabi.
Deepa Mehta’s Water is a movie that tackles religious and political taboos head-on, and so it comes as no surprise that the movie was a cause of controversy while being filmed.
The movie tells a tale of the oppression of widows in Hindu India during the 1930s, and criticises both the religious and political systems responsible for it. It touches upon some very sensitive and important issues, and credit goes to the director for undertaking this task in a responsible manner. Water is a movie that definitely needed to be made.
However, as a cinematic experience, the movie is weak. The acting is decent, but the character development is poor which makes it hard to relate to any of the characters. Considering that the story hinges on the audience being able to empathise with the characters, this is quite a significant flaw.
The directing leads to far too much ambiguity for the scenes to be as effective as they could be. Similarly, one of the most interesting subplots in the movie could have been explored further, to take advantage of an interesting character that had been created. Narayana, played by John Abraham, is full of complexities. He takes an intense interest in the plight of the widows, and it is he that acts as the catalyst for many of the final scenes. However, the movie only barely explores his character. This is unfortunate because there is potential for so much more.
This isn’t meant as a negative review. There were positive aspects too; the soundtrack was noteworthy, most of the acting was decent, and the casting of some of the characters was perfect. In particular, the part of ‘Auntie’, played by Vidula Javalgekar, was superbly cast, and the actress fit the role perfectly.
But at the end of the day, the movie has a great premise, and all the elements are there for it to be exceptional, but it still isn’t executed well enough to raise itself out of mediocrity.
If you’re interested in the issues the movie raises, go see it; it will be worth your time. But if you’re looking for pure entertainment, better spend your money elsewhere.
6.5/10
Julianna Muniak
