Deepa Mehta’s skills in film-making
Deepa Mehta is a renowned filmmaker who has received various accolades for her iconic Bollywood films. Mehta is behind Elements trilogy that featured her third and final installment dubbed Water. The film made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2005 and premiered in India two years later, following controversies for depicting certain Indian society elements. Water revolves around the life of an eight-year-old girl called Chuyia that received news from her father of her husband’s passing. The movie is set in colonial India (1938) a time in history when child marriage was prevalent, and the community adhered to strict traditions. After her husband’s death, Chuyia immediately transitioned to widowhood, forcing her to leave family and join her fellow widows at the ashram as per the customs (Jamil, 2018). The ashram was home to other fourteen women who were forced to beg in the streets or turn to prostitution to make ends meet. While residing at the ashram, Chuyia is taken in by Shakuntala, who becomes somewhat a mother figure to the young girl. She also befriends Kalyani, who was the only girl allowed to have her hair long.
Kalyani was pimped out to the wealthy men in the city, thus providing the ashram with a steady revenue source to ensure their survival. As Chuyia witnesses the romance between Kalyani and Narayan, she yearns for a better life outside the ashram. However, her dreams are shattered when Madhumati sends her to the city to replace Kalyani as the group’s source of income. When Shakuntala learns that the young widow has been subjected to prostitution, she embarks on a mission to save Chuyia. Shakuntala succeeds in getting Chuyia on a train after spotting Narayan as one of the passengers.
Analysis
The different communities in the world exhibit disparities when it comes to cultural beliefs and practices. Over the years, filmmakers have been using movies to showcase or provide the audience with a sneak preview about a particular community’s culture. Deepa Mehta is an excellent example of creators who have devoted their craft to addressing social issues affecting people (Jamil, 2018). As mentioned earlier, Deepa is the mastermind behind the “Elemental Trilogy” premised on some of the problems that have had an impact on contemporary Indian society. Mehta’s first film, Fire (1996), focused on the issue of lesbianism in India while her second one Earth tackled partition in the region. Both films were considered controversial and received strong opposition from conservatives.
Like the rest of her movies, Water was met with heavy criticism to the extent that the film was banned in India. Deepa tends to use her characters to critique the ignorance associated with certain fundamental beliefs of Hinduism. In Water, the oppression of widows in the Indian society is addressed through the years of the young Chuyia. According to Hindu traditions, the life of a woman and her husband is intertwined such that widows are considered half-dead for losing their partners. When a woman is widowed, there are three options of dying tighter with her husband, marrying his brother or be exiled to live in isolation with other widows at the ashram. After the death of Chuyia’s husband, she is sent to an ashram in Varanasi, where she undergoes the ritual of shaving her hair, letting go of her earthly desire, and wearing the white sari. The film provides an in-depth description of the stages of widowhood in the Hindu community. Mehta cast the spotlight on the injustice against widows in India attributed to the religious beliefs in the region.
The Hindu traditions consider water to be a symbol of purification, and as such, the ashram was close to the Ganges River for the widows to cleanse them as there regarded as impure. The community saw women as second-class citizens, illuminating the caste system’s challenges that still exist today in India. Deepa Mehta and her characters in Water represent a group of women fighting for equality in a patriarchal society (Jamil, 2018). Chuyia, Kalyani, and Shakuntala question the ritual of widowhood supported by Hinduism, thus challenging the status quo. In the film, Narayan was a symbol of change, signifying the emergence of a new generation that challenged the old ways (traditions).
Reflection
The film moved me because apart from portraying Mehta’s skill in film-making, it had an underlying meaning. Water is an eye-opener to the disparities between the different cultures of the world. The actors did a recommendable job of conveying the intended message and showing the plight of widows and other marginalized groups. It was painful to watch some of the atrocities that meted the main protagonist in the name of religion. I think the plot is a reminder that it is time for societies to move past the traditions that do not have the well-being of the entire community at heart. Furthermore, it was an inspiration from me to continuing fighting for my dreams, no matter the challenges I encounter. The characters in the film struggled, but they found a way out their predicament in the end.