Deepa Mehta’s Water is headed to the Oscars but no it is not India’s entry but rather Canada’s official entry to the Oscars.
As per the members of the right-wing Hindu group, the Shiv Sena,-" It insults Hindu sentiments and depicts Hindu culture in a poor light."
"Water" shows abandoned widows living in extreme poverty, some of whom are forced into prostitution by powerful Hindu priests who run homes for widows at holy Hindu sites. Hindu nationalists say that these conditions no longer exist but a visit to the ashram where widows live — whether in Varanasi or Vrindavan in north India that is known for its large widow population — can vouch for the fact that little has changed.
Widows must wear only white; break their bangles; stop wearing jewelry; shun meat, hot food and sweets; keep away from happy occasions such as weddings and births; and, in many cases, shave their heads.
According to orthodox tradition, widows of high caste Hindus are responsible for their husband's death by having brought him bad luck. They are not allowed to live with a family — neither their parents nor their own children — or to remarry. These rules are intended to demonstrate that a widow is only half-human after her husband's death and must therefore lead a life of penance until she can join her dearly departed into the afterlife.
Benarasi Hindu extremists did not allow the director to shoot for the movie in its said location, the Benaras ghaats, because of the said controversial content.They shot secretly in Srilanka.
I dont understand why these extremists have to create a problem everytime. The protest did not stop the director to shoot the film and i think she raised a valid point. The same was pointed out in the movie Babul which again had a social message of widow marriage. Just because that was displayed as a family movie everyone accepted it and just because this movie shows a scenario which existed in 1930's feels weird?
Whats wrong with us? Why do we find it hard to accept truth?
1 comment:
Water is certainly an excellent film by an excellent director. Deepa has crafted a drama that blends a love story with social commentary, humour and the challenges of faith. The characterizations are subtle yet complex. The cinematography is outstanding.
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