| Water | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Water_(2005_film)_cover_art.jpg) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Deepa Mehta |
| Screenplay by | Anurag Kashyap |
| Story by | Deepa Mehta |
| Produced by | David Hamilton |
| Starring | Seema Biswas Lisa Ray John Abraham Sarala Kariyawasam Manorama |
| Cinematography | Giles Nuttgens |
| Edited by | Colin Monie |
| Music by | Score: Mychael Danna Songs: A. R. Rahman |
Production company | David Hamilton Productions |
| Distributed by | Mongrel Media (Canada) Fox Searchlight Pictures (United States) B.R. Films (India) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 114 minutes |
| Countries | Canada United States India |
| Languages | Hindi[1] English |
| Box office | $10.4 million[2] |
Water (Hindi: जल, romanized: Jal) is a 2005 drama film written and directed by Deepa Mehta, with screenplay by Anurag Kashyap. It is set in 1938 and explores the lives of widows at an ashram in India. The film is also the third and final installment of Mehta's Elements trilogy. It was preceded by Fire (1996) and Earth (1998). Author Bapsi Sidhwa wrote the 2006 novel based upon the film, Water: A Novel, published by Milkweed Press. Sidhwa's earlier novel, Cracking India was the basis for Earth, the second film in the trilogy.
Water is a dark introspect into the tales of rural Indian widows in the 1940s and covers controversial subjects such as child marriage, misogyny and ostracism.[3] The film premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was honoured with the Opening Night Gala, and was released across Canada in November of that year.[4] It was first released in India on 9 March 2007.[5]
The film stars Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham and Sarala Kariyawasam in pivotal roles and Manorama, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Waheeda Rehman, Raghuvir Yadav and Vinay Pathak in supporting roles. Featured songs for the film were composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Sukhwinder Singh and Raqeeb Alam. After Rahman quit the film following nationwide controversy,[6] the background score was composed by Mychael Danna, although the songs which Rahman had composed before opting out were retained.
In 2008, inspired by the film, Dilip Mehta directed a documentary, The Forgotten Woman about widows in India. The film was also written by Deepa Mehta.[7]
Water was announced as Canada's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 79th Academy Awards, it was nominated, but it did not win.
- ^ The film was shot twice with the same (bilingual) actors, once in Hindi, once in English.
- ^ Water at Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
- ^ "'Water' at Majestic Cinema". Sarasaviya. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- ^ "Water opens Toronto Film Festival". 9 September 2005. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ^ "Oscar-nominated film "Water" released in India 7 years after protests shut down filming". Iht.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Rahman ready for Lord of the Rings". Rediff.com. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ Nathan Lee (7 August 2008). "Stigmatized by Society". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2014.