CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON MOVIE WATER by Nadzirah Nur
In my opinion, Deepa Mehta is a courageous and bold director to produce a movie ‘Water’ which is intended to affront the tradition and living style of Indians back then. She displays how every character brings up almost perfectly similar kind of stance which is because of the doctrine and beliefs that have been set in their minds for a long period of time. The practice inherited from one generation to another generation which later becomes the tradition of Indian community. I could see how every widow refuses and rebuffs changes; which they are forbidden to marry again as a result of believing in they themselves bring unluckiness or bad luck to others. In fact, other women either married
Shakuntala Didi, who has been a widow for quite a long time, saves the little girl Chuiya from being forced into prostitution by the head of ashram, Madhumati. Didi passes Chuiya to Narayan and asks him to make sure that Chuiya is in Ghandiji’s care. It is a powerful moment that the film ends with Didi gazing directly at the camera. Through her haunting eyes, Didi makes a desperate plea that something needs to change. By saving Chuiya, I believe, one generation can be saved from the insignificant tradition. Chuiya is the youngest widow at the ashram and she is not supposed to spend her whole life at the ashram. Children at her age should be playing around, eating ice creams or asking parents of what life is. I am depressed to know the fact that Chuiya gets married at eight years old, the age that she knows nothing. Chuiya does not even remember when she gets married and surely, does not even understand what marriage is. How can she play her role as a wife? At least, Chuiya can make differences to other Indian widows when she is set free. She can tell how she really wants to return to her mother but she cannot. She also can tell how she adapts to dreary rhythms of her days at the ashram.
I also believe that Deepa chooses to end this film as such is to nurture acceptance and appreciation among the Indian women. In an effort to make changes, there must be someone who dares to speak the truth. Similarly,