ZoyaPandher

Mrs.Hope
EnglishLPS
9November2015
Hinduismin
Water
Themovie
Water
isafilmsetinIndiaduringthelate1930sthatportrayshowwidows
hadtolivehorriblelivesduetotwistedinterpretationsoftheHindutexts.Theinfluenceof
religioniseverywhereinthemovie.Thewholereasonthatthewidowsareleadingthelifethatis
showninthefilmisbecauseofoneoftheHinduLawsofManu,whichdeclaresthatoncea
husbanddies,thewifemusteitherburnonthepyrewithherhusband,marryhisyoungerbrother,
orleavesocietyandlivealifeofdeprivation.
Water
showshowlifewasforthewidowswho
chosethelastpath,whichmeanttheyhadtocutoffalltheirhair,liveinanashram,wearall
white,andliveasascetics.However,itsaysnowhereintheHindulawsthatwidowsshouldbe
lookeddownuponordiscriminatedagainst,althoughallthenonwidowsinthemovieseethe
widowsaspollutionandsinthatshouldnotbetalkedtoortouched.
Theinfluenceofreligionisveryprominentinthethreeprotagonistsaswellasother
characters.Whenherhusbanddies,Chuyia(thelittlegirl)getsallherhaircutoffandisclothed
inallwhite.Shedoesnotevenrememberbeingmarriedorhavingahusband,seeingassheis
aroundeightyearsold,anddoesnotknowanythingaboutbeingawidow.Despiteherconfusion
andherpleastoherparents,theyleaveheratanashramfilledwithwidowswhohavespentmost
oftheirlivesinisolation.EverythingdonetoChuyiauptilthispointhasbeendoneinorderto
followHindulaws.

Kalyani(theyoungwoman)hasbeenthroughthesametreatmentasChuyia,althoughher
hairisuncut.HerhairisuncutandsheisisolatedfromtheotherwidowsbecauseMadhumati
(theold,fatwidow)usesherasaprostitutetoearnmoneyfortheashram.Thisaffectsherfuture
marriagewithamannamedNarayan,ashisfatherwasaclient.Narayansfatherdisplaysthe
influenceofthecastesystemonsociety,sayingthatBrahmanscantakeasmanymistressesas
theywant,andthatthosewomenareblessed.ItcanbeseenthatKalyaniturnstoreligioninorder
tostaystrong,andshetellsChuyiathatchantingjaishreekrishnaahundredandeighttimesa
daywillhelpherleavetheashram.WhenevershetalkstoNarayan,shetalksaboutreligionand
religiousstories,asitisallsheknows.Atonepoint,shetellshimthatshetriestolivelikealotus
flower,justlikeKrishnasaidto.
Shakuntala(themiddleagedwoman)isanotherwidowwhosefaithisstronginspiteof
herenvironment.Forexample,shehelpsthelocalpriestforthewidowssetuptheserviceevery
day,andbelievesthateverythingthathashappenedhashappenedforareason.Eventhoughthe
livesofthesewidowshavebeenmadehorriblebytheirreligion,theirfaithisalltheyhaveleftto
turntoinordertogivethemhope,strength,andsanity.
Itisimportanttounderstandthatwhilelifemayhavebeenlikethisinthelate1930s,this
practiceisnowillegal.However,themovieshowshowreligiousritualswerepracticed,and
allowscomprehensionofhowdifferentpeoplefeltaboutreligion.
Water
isamoviethatportrays
twosidesofHinduismthereligionthatpeoplemanipulatetobenefitthemandthefaiththat
peopleturntowhentheyareinneed.