Water Synopsis
WATER is the final film in Mehta's trilogy on the elements, following FIRE (1996) and EARTH (1998), which both premiered at the Festival.
In pre-independent India, set against the backdrop of Mahatma Gandhi's rise to power, eight-year old child-bride Chuyia hears of her husband's death. Her father, following custom, exiles her to a widow's ashram where she is meant to live out her days. Chuyia's feisty presence starts to affect the lives of the other residents, in particular 20-year-old Kalyani (Lisa Ray of BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD), 35-year-old Shakuntala (Seema Biswas of BANDIT QUEEN) and an 80-year-old whose days are waning. Encouraged by Chuyia, Kalyani (who serves as the ashram's breadwinner) breaks tradition and falls for young upper-class Gandhian idealist Narayan (Bollywood star John Abraham), forcing the widows to question their future and faith. Even Chuyia is caught in the wind of change.
WATER is a David Hamilton Production, and executive produced by Mark Burton, Ajay Virmani, and Doug Mankoff. Music score is by A.R Rahman.
