Controversial Water flows to Indian film fest
From Etan Vlessing

TORONTO—Five years after Hindu extremists forced Deepa Mehta to halt production on “Water” in India, the expatriate filmmaker will bring the controversial drama to her native country amid tight security this week. Toronto-based Mehta on Monday expressed a mixture of excitement and nervousness about going to southern India for the International Film Festival of Kerala, which kicks off Friday with an open-air screening of “Water” for 5,000 people.
“If the film gets judged as a film, as opposed to the baggage of controversy, then we’ll be fine,” said Mehta. She added that Kerala organizers purposely held off announcing “Water” as their opening night film until now to ensure a “goon element” did not disrupt the festival’s launch.
“They aren’t scared. They’re very sure that nothing untoward will happen,” said Mehta, now a Canadian citizen. Mehta and producer David Hamilton secretly shot “Water” in Sri Lanka in 2004 under the working title “River Moon,” after death threats from Hindu fundamentalists and a rioting mob four years earlier forced a halt to production in Benares.
Set in 1930s India, “Water” tells the story of an 8-year-old child bride who is exiled to a widow’s ashram (remote residence) after her husband dies. Hindu extremists have criticized Mehta for disparaging their culture and religion, a charge she vigorously denies.
“Water” was picked up by Fox Searchlight for a U.S. release in April 2006 after the Hindi-language picture opened the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The epic drama, which stars Lisa Ray (“Bollywood/Hollywood”) and Bollywood star John Abraham (“Garam Masala”), has done an impressive CAN$1.2 million at the Canadian box office since its November 4 release.
Mehta anticipates a host of Indian exhibitors and distributors will see “Water” in Kerala for the first time, possibly ahead of a theatrical release in that country.