Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Portraying women's plight world over

N.J. Nair

Films can only start a dialogue, says Deepa Mehta

Deepa Mehta Photo: S. Gopakumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amidst the social inequalities and increasing instances of harassment of women, `Water' tends to portray the plight of women all over the world, says noted film-maker Deepa Mehta.

`Water' was premiered as the inaugural film of the 10th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which began here on Friday. According to Ms. Deepa Mehta, the film, set against the social milieu of 1938, presents the predicament of a group of widows. There is no thorough change in the social conditions all over the world and hence theme of the film has a universal appeal and social relevance, she says.

The film, which was scheduled to be shot in Varanasi, had sparked off a controversy when the shooting began and the shooting was later shifted to Sri Lanka. "Controversies are imposed on a film. The audience should tend to see a film beyond such controversies that limit its scope for discussions. Since I am a film-maker and not a politician, I do not like political interventions," she says regarding the disputes raised against shooting the film in Varanasi.

When released in Canada, `Water' was a hit at the box-office. Canadians could easily relate themselves with the film since it was reflection of their society. The situation was not much different elsewhere too. This is proof of the social relevance of the film, feels Mehta.

She does not intend to propagate any message through her films. All her films have serious themes that appeal to her and she derives self-satisfaction by picturising those themes that concern her. "I select stories that concern me and I enjoy making such films. It is for the audience to interpret the films. Films cannot change a society. It can only strike a chord in the minds of the audience and start a dialogue. My films do not have any message as they are not propaganda films," she says.

Ms. Mehta, who holds Malayalam cinema in high esteem, feels that the directors are not scared of presenting social realities. "Film-makers like Adoor and T.V.Chandran are amazing. The credit for the success of such films goes to the audience in Kerala who are cinema literate," she says.

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