Water -

A recent movie I watched was Water by Deepa Metha. Water shows a story about a group of Indian widows. The movie shows the struggle of an Indian widow in society and how she survives in a patricarchal society. Deepa Metha, to a certain extent exaggerates the problem Indian widows go through. Not all widows are treated like this nor does all Indian sub-sects look down upon widows. But there are that still do treat them like this, and Water shows how pathetic and cruel society can be. Water revolves around widows; widows who don't burn themselves on their husbands' funeral pyres, live in the strict ashrams (a residing place of some sort of group), awaiting the purification of death.

“Water” revolves around the central widow, Chuyia, is only 8. She is dumped into the ashram, and is expected to lead a life of denial and forbidden from society. In this ashram, this 8 year old girl will be forced to lead a life of an 80 year old woman; her hair will be shaved, she will wear white robes for the rest of her life and be an outcaste from society, this movie exploits the atrocity of Hinduism. Chuyia at the innocent girl starts to question Hinduism, and become a rebel. Another central figure in this movie is a Kalyani also a widow, played by Lisa Ray. Lisa Ray lives in the ashram as well. She is the one who primarily takes care of Chuyia, and thanks to Chuyia she meets a lawyer and eventually falls in love. Deepa Metha shows the human emotion of love conquering Lisa Ray’s feeling even though she is a widow. It is a battle of love versus society.

Metha forces Lisa Ray to break taboo rules. Ultimately Kalyani, ends up committing suicide as she cannot live in a society that won’t accept her love with this lawyer.

The movie ends with a quote “There are over 34 million widows in India according to the 2001 Census. Many continue to live in conditions of social, economic and cultural depression as prescribe 2000 years ago by the sacred texts of Manu.” This quote shows the ignorance which many people decide to live with.