Hi,

This is the first reply I have hit in few years of subscription. In response to the discussion on Water, which I havenot followed thoroughly but have read some emails. Broadly speaking, this is what I have to say...

 

I think films like Water, which represent multinational productions may do well by having a seperate category in Film Festivals and films that can still be defined purely under orginal country can continue to be put and assessed in traditional categories. 

 

Water as a film has many strengths, not because it was banned in production and screening in Indian soil but because it looks at intricate relations between gender and religion in feudal India that still resonate in some parts.

 

What my problem with Water is simply the breezy, blue-tinted cinematography that one sees all the time when western filmmakers make films about India. Ofcourse, there are exceptional moments too. In terms of acting, character arches, narrative progression, and politics of the film I feel the soft hued cinematography undermines its narrative and does reinforce an ossified view of Indian past. 

 

But Mehta is not the only one to do that most recent commercial Hindi historical films made during the pre-colonial and colonial period in India are either yellow or bluely nostalgic for some reason. Having said this, I would still recommend for those interested in India to see the film at some point.

 

Best,

Sonika Jain

PHD

University of Bristol: Department of Drama: Theatre, Film, Television