Firstly, the praise: I think it was clearly very beautiful visually and really captures the look and feel of the times. I also enjoy the characters of the child and Narayan, I think both he and his fat friend articulate the prevalent views of the times and show both sides of the elites during the Raj: some kowtowed to the British while others held firm to their idealism and patriotism. I also think it is important to draw attention to the treatment of widows, which has improved but is still rather lamentable in certain portions of the country.

However, I think that this is also a movie meant more to provoke a reaction from a western audience than to authentically depict or critique practices within Indian culture. This is clearly an NRI movie, and I say that as an NRI, because it lacks the same affection and comfort that you see in the work of a Ray or Ratnam film. Mehta chooses to exaggerate the visuals a great deal, particularly her use of color and its absence. Similarly heavy handed is her use of water as a metaphor, from the title to its use in nearly every pivotal scene.

On casting, I think that it was very well done, with the possible exception of Lisa Ray. Trust me, I love Lisa Ray, i think she’s one of the most beautiful women around, but she simply looks overly glam, foreign and out of place. While there are some very light skinned Indians, she is clearly not totally Indian and it detracts from the film’s verisimilitude. Not to mention, it seems like she was cast to add an extra bit of glamor to what is already a sensationalistic role (see below) and I can’t help but think also so the romantic lead would be appealing to western (mostly white) audiences.

Finally the plot. As I said, I think it’s important to draw attention to the negative aspects of Indian and Hindu culture. I even liked the portion with the auntie who loved sweets, and I thought most of Chuyia’s story was very well done. But how Madhumati’s heinous and immoral actions through her dealings with the eunuch can be somehow be called a legitimate critique of Hindu fundamentalist culture, I just don’t get. If anything, rather than exploring the ways in which widows are oppressed by society, Mehta chooses to set up a straw man, an easy villain who is a widow herself, without exploring her reasons of motivations in any depth. If anything, she is selling her subject short. Furthermore, even if you accept that Kalyani’s prostitution is somehow due to her condition as a widow (leaving aside that I think the story of the other widows was much more compelling) then I still maintain the act at the end involving Chuyia was over-the-top and only to ratchet up the emotional impact. I found it hollow and unrealistic, and even though I do acknowledge that such heinous things do occur, I feel like the introduction of this act by itself should have changed the the subject of discussion from widow oppression to pedophilia and sexual, rather than being used as a device to heap upon a subject already beaten to death by that point.

I did think Narayan’s articulation of the real motivation for widow’s colonies was spot on; I just wish that more of the movie were spent on such realistic explorations rather than fanciful plot twists that are intended to provoke dramatic emotional reactions.

Overall, a nice film, but nothing revolutionary and definitely not an authentic depiction of Raj-era India or a work of important social criticism.

Thanks for stopping by. Yes, that was a point Deviyani stressed in the interview, that it wasn’t a “making of book”. I’ve been trying to find the time to transcribe and post the 3 interviews (Mehta, Ray, Saltzman). One day soon hopefully.

On the subject of Taxi 9211, have you seen the DVD with the director’s commentary? I LOVE it! I wish more Hindi movies would include this feature, if they were like Taxi; it was informative, to hear the behind-the-scenes details of the difficulties they ran into shooting on this street or that, etc etc.

Sorry about the JA digression. I read Devyani Saltzman’s book, and though I liked it, I had bought it expecting more of a behind the scenes book and it really wasn’t. It was much more of an explanation of the intricate webs that bind a family, especially those that break, re-break and reform in a divorce. Worth reading, but not quite satisfying to the die-hard movie making voyeur. Even with it’s scanty and miniscule pictures, the Making of Lagaan book was much more to my taste, that way.

Thanks for your comments and for visiting.

About Lisa Ray, funny enough, I’ve heard from Indians that they felt she was inappropriate, that her mixed heritage made her less able for the role and the language, and less suitable physically.

On the reason she chose Lisa Ray, in the interview I did with Deepa Mehta at the time of the movie’s release, she said that by the time they were going to film, years later, she felt that Nandita Das was now too strong a woman to convey the vulnerability she wanted for Kalyani. (Shabana Azmi was out the second time around because she is very visible and was seen as a political liability if they were to try and film “secretly” in Sri Lanka.) According to Mehta, she and Shabana are fine with each other, but Nandita Das has still not spoken to her to this day.

Also, I encountered the usual “the actress doesn’t look Indian” from the American friends I saw the film with. And while I attempted to explain (once again) that India has a very varied ethno-cultural disposition, I also felt that I would have loved to see Nandita Das in the role. I wonder why she wasn’t in it.

However, I love your blog. As Velu before me, I’ve also been digging up archives to read.
:)

Velu, thanks for stopping by, and do come back. Yes, John really was quite solid in the movie, wasn’t he?

I saw Water when it was premiered at the IFFK last year. There was so much hype abt the movie, that I shud say I was pretty much disappointed at the end of it all. Apart from being a varietable medley of colours and the invincible John presence, the film held little interest to me as a viewer.

This is my first time here, and I shud say u have a fantastic blog. I have been spending the last few minutes digging up the archives, and generally having a good read. Shall come back for more, for sure.

:)