Sunday, July 16, 2006

Just last night, Jackie and I went to watch a film, Water at the Civic Theatre. Directed by Deepa Mehta, it follows Earth and Fire, and is the third of the elemental trilogy.

Synopsis (taken from http://water.mahiram.com)

Set in 1938 Colonial India, against Mahatma Gandhi's rise to power, the story begins when eight-year-old Chuyia is widowed and sent to a home where Hindu widows must live in penitence. Chuyia's feisty presence affects the lives of the other residents, including a young widow, who falls for a Gandhian idealist.

About The Characters (taken from http://water.mahiram.com)

Chuyia is an eight-year-old girl with bright, sparkling eyes and a long, untidy braid that falls well below her waist. Her tiny wrists have two red bangles each and silver anklets encircle her bony ankles. Her family recently married her to a successful older man of their village with the prospect that when she came of age she would move to his home and become a proper wife. This plan is quickly thrown into disarray when the husband becomes ill and dies, leaving Chuyia a widow. Tradition dictates that Chuyia be forced to move into a house for Hindu widows to spend the rest of her life in renunciation. As a widow, she is expected to atone for the past sins that resulted in the death of her husband.

Madhumati, a widow in her mid-70s, is the house matriarch. By day she sits in the courtyard ordering instructions to the other widows, while at night she lies in her room, smoking ganja and listening to the latest gossip from her only friend, Gulabi, a eunuch and pimp.

Shakuntala is one of the 14 widows sharing the household into which Chuyia is forced to move. Perhaps the most enigmatic of the widows, she is good-looking enough, intelligent and educated. Quiet and reserved, Shakuntala is caught between the hopelessness of living out her remaining years as a widow and her devout adherence to the dictates of the Hindu scriptures.

Kalyani is breathtaking, and the only widow whose hair is not shorn, as a nod to her profession which was forced upon her at an early age by the powerful head widow Madhumati. Uncomplicated and gentle, she radiates a child-like innocence. Kalyani spends her day either playing with her puppy Kaalu, or talking to the small statue of the God Krishna she has in her room. Her nights though are surreal. Gulabi ferries her across the waters to the mansions of the rich gentry in Rawalpur. This she accepts with a quiet equanimity; it's her karma. Besides, she feels that perhaps this is a test that the God Krishna is putting her through and as the holy books dictate "she should live as the beautiful lotus flower untouched by the dirty water in which it resides." The rest of the widows ostracize her as they feel that close contact will result in a sullying of their purity. When she meets Narayan, the spiritual acceptance of her fate begins to disassemble and she becomes resistant to Madhumati's will.

Narayan, who has just finished his law degree, is an idealist and follower of Gandhi's 'Quit India Movement.' Through pure chance Narayan meets Kalyani. There is an immediate attraction, but the restriction placed on interaction with widows makes it difficult to find a way of pursuing any kind of relationship. Gandhi's movement is not solely dedicated to removing the British from Indian soil but also focuses on social justice particularly as it relates to the treatment of women. Narayan ignores the cultural taboos and continues to meet Kalyani in order to marry her. But marriage to widows is strictly forbidden.

The film basically revolves around the lives of the women in the ashram, where Hindu widows are sent to live in penitence. Chuyia is the newcomer, who keeps insisting she will go home soon. She gradually accepts her fate, yet at the same time, still harbours hope. Kalyani is the outcast in the house, who becomes Chuyia's friend, and gives Chuyia hope of freedom. She falls in love with Narayan, the young idealist who stands unwavering in his beliefs of what is right. Shakuntala, who seems strict at times, yet friendly at others, dreams of liberation amidst conflicted feelings between conscience and faith. Madhumati is the matriarch of the house, who manipulates Kalyani, and eventually, Chuyia, with false hopes. There is also Auntie, the withering widow who dreams of sweets, never failing to recount the various treats she loves. (Widows aren't allowed fried food apparently because it's perceived to be a sin.)

It is a moving story about love, liberation and hope. Both a drama and a romance, the movie got both Jackie and I scrambling for tissues by the end, and we could hear people sniffing in the huge theater auditorium. It ended tragically, yet is filled with hope. This is definitely a film worth watching.

The next film Jackie and I will be watching is Twelve and Holding this Friday at 1.45pm. Will be looking forward to it!