Response to Water

The film follows Chuyia, one of the many widows of India as she tries to figure out what it means to be a widow. As a young child she was already married off to older man who by the time the film begins is dying. Not a moment was wasted before her head was shaved, was given a white Sari and sent to live with other widows. She constantly questions the laws set out for the widows of India and has trouble conforming to them. Especially why widows have to live a life of purity and perpetual mourning for the husband they have lost.

Chuyia believes that her stay with the widows is only temporary so she acts like it is.  More importantly, she acts her age when it comes to handling situations that beyond her control.  She runs, screams, fights, and hurts people who hurt her. Shakuntala who follows every law of the widow and seeks religious counseling often becomes a maternal figure for Chuyia.  Everything Shakuntala did was to fulfill her obligation to her religion until she heard the laws where changing. She then knew that Chuiya’s life could be better so decides to give her to Narayan to make sure Chuyia gets to Gandhi, someone promised to change things for widows in India.