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Water

Play trailer Poster for Water PG-13 2005 1h 57m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 94 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
The year is 1938, and Mahatma Gandhi's groundbreaking philosophies are sweeping across India, but 8-year-old Chuyia (Sarala), newly widowed, must go to live with other outcast widows on an ashram. Her presence transforms the ashram as she befriends two of her compatriots (Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray).
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Water

Water

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Critics Consensus

This compassionate work of social criticism is also luminous, due to both its lyrical imagery and cast.

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Critics Reviews

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Alyx Vesey Bitch Media 01/07/2021
Overall, Mehta's maturing ear for dialogue benefits the cast's talents. In addition, art director Sumant Jayakrishnan sumptuous production design and A.R. Rahman's score deepen reception of the film. Go to Full Review
Shubhra Gupta The Indian Express 06/21/2019
Water is stunning because it is so quiet. The devastating unfairness of the lives of women interred in darkness, intertwined with the tragic love story of Narayan and Kalyani is played out without a hint of melodrama. Go to Full Review
Deborah Ross The Spectator 08/22/2018
In the end, Water is too much of a compromise. A compromise between, perhaps, shocking the West with the subject matter - a eight-year-old widow! - and going for a popular Indian audience who will demand Bollywood romance. Go to Full Review
Jimmy Cage Jimmy Cage Movie Reviews (YouTube) 04/25/2022
7/10
WATER is a moving and important film that presents a horrific true story in beautiful images. The only downers are the somewhat too constructed dramaturgy and the sometimes missing closeness to the characters. Go to Full Review
Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com 09/26/2020
4.0/4.0
The crown jewel of Deepah Mehta's career. Go to Full Review
Kaleem Aftab The List 11/03/2018
3/5
Feels slightly compromised, but a riveting tearjerker that's stunning to look at. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 22 Success in 1 hour and 57 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Mature Thematic Material, Brief Drug Use and Sexual Situations!!!!!!!!!!! In Hindi and American English audio options with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $3,200,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy 20th anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Jerod S 05/20/2023 Water explores the religious aspect of being a widow in India. Following a young girl that is widowed at 7, a prostitute and older widows, it is beautifully shot and fits as a tragedy more than anything. See more Carol S 05/04/2023 Beautiful, done with grace and a softness. A story deserving of cinematic platforms! See more dave s 12/15/2022 Set in 1938 India, when young Chuyia's husband dies, the eight-year-old, so as not to be a burden on her family or a source of shame, is sent to live in an ashram for widows. Over time, the beautiful Kalyani (Lisa Ray), takes Chuyia under her wing, serving as a mentor for the young girl. Deepa Mehta's Water effectively brings to light an immoral practice that has been employed for centuries. The film is beautifully shot on locations in Sri Lanka and features strong performances from both Ray and Sarala Kariyawasam as Chuyia. While the central story is compelling, the movie veers off an a romantic tangent midway through, which seems to lessen the overall impact and take attention away from the tragedy that is Chuyia's life. See more 08/18/2019 Really powerful story overall, and I loved the dynamics between the female characters of different ages. Chuyia's character is great -- obviously dealing with a lot of horror in her life, but played in such a way that the survival and moments of joy and quickening interest stand out. The movie is at its best when it's refusing to be a tragedy and refusing a heroic happy ending, exploring the way these characters keep living after immense hardships. I could have done without the overwhelming, iconic version of Gandhi. The young, Brahmin law student who kind of serves as a stand-in for Gandhi's politics throughout the movie also kind of serves as a savior figure who doesn't have much nuance. These characters are relatively depoliticized, to the extent that they are presented as the only alternative to backwardness; the shining future of India. Comparatively, the women were sapped of agency when next to them. The imagery was overpowering and kind of choking: the train going into the future, while Shakuntala is looking back to the past. See more 06/10/2019 To know what was India in the past and the social reformation that took place during Gandhi's days. See more Read all reviews
Water

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Movie Info

Synopsis The year is 1938, and Mahatma Gandhi's groundbreaking philosophies are sweeping across India, but 8-year-old Chuyia (Sarala), newly widowed, must go to live with other outcast widows on an ashram. Her presence transforms the ashram as she befriends two of her compatriots (Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray).
Director
Deepa Mehta
Producer
David Hamilton
Screenwriter
Deepa Mehta
Production Co
Téléfilm Canada, Deepa Mehta Films
Rating
PG-13 (Mature Thematic Material|Brief Drug Use|Sexual Situations)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Hindi
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.2M
Runtime
1h 57m
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