Deepa Mehta's "Water" nominated for Oscar

- Planet Bollywood Special Correspondant           Let us know what you think about this story

Water highlights the plight of Hindu widows in the 1930s. Ironically, its shooting in India had to be scrapped following protests from various social and religious groups in India. Originally, it was scheduled to be shot in the holy city of Varanasi. After cancelling the shooting in India, the film was completed in Sri Lanka.

Water, a Hindi-language film is entering Oscars as a Canadian film. Unfortunately, India missed an opportunity once again to be represented at the Oscars.

Mehta said she was especially thrilled that "Water" is the first non-French film from Canada to be up for a best foreign language film. Although it contains some English, it was allowed for consideration because of recent changes to Academy rules which allow films to contain up to 30 per cent English. Previously, no English was allowed. Other entries in the category include “Pan’s Labyrinth” (Mexico), “After the Wedding” (Denmark) and German Cold War drama “The Lives of Others”.

The movie is the last in Deepa’s trilogy, which include “Fire” and “Earth”. The starcast includes John Abraham, Lisa Ray and Seema Biswas. Water” had originally starred Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das.

“I am so thrilled with this news. This film has meant so much to me, we have seen so much, that to have it all end in such a way is best thing I could have asked for,” Mehta told reorters from her residence in Canada.

Mehta said she was looking forward to walking the red carpet when the gold statuettes are handed out Feb. 25. She said she's already considering a special outfit - a very old tissue sari that was part of her mother's trousseau.

"It's plain gold and it's very elegant," she said. "I think it's right to wear mom's sari."

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