recently opportunity watch deepa mehta film water movie predecessors fire earth water segment deepa elemental trilogy film critic measure reason write film deals issue controversial sensitive culture religion benefit film water deals plight hindu widows banished society live secluded life bidhava ashrams widow homes varanasi widows ranging years eighty years live life deprived pleasures wait earnestly sacred ghats kashi extremely fortunate fate guarantees spot heaven shakuntala seema biswas earn heavens born kalyani lisa wait sacrifice holy waters escape exile argue story relevant anymore hindu widows days lead deprived life longer wear whites shave heads vegetarian fast eleventh lunar true granted urban middle class upper middle class families widows life huge majority succumb societal pressures pick white garb widow homes bidhava ashrams exist lives residents shown film widows urban elites tolerate attitude thrown fortunate members hindu society film asks pertinent questions relevant today days young widow live life ascetic ashram longer life lawful wedded wife tolerate greedy eyes easily raise voice protest face wrath hindu fundamentalists deepa mehta story film background holy city benaras city appeared times films stalwarts satyajit raghu deepa mehta luxury capturing picturesque city film content poor imitation constructed lanka deepa mehta allowed shoot film holy city wing hindu extremists destroyed sets threatened crew forced stop filming return home canada guess incident strengthened resolve years back sub-continent lanka make film cast film perfect free short comings script lacked depth film dealing issue deserves lisa miscast role kalyani efforts free western accent sophistication cast members proper justice roles special mention made sarala performed role child widow chhuiya seema biswas carried film great extent john abraham character narayan felt developed male characters primarily female dominated movie raghuvir yadav eunuch gulabi excellent usual exquisite feature film cinematography giles nuttgens framing color schemes compositions breath taking times impact film made shot original locale film surfaced shame society religion shame tormented people raja rammohan iswar chandra vidyasagar manages sink hide depths conscience deepa mehta made attempt bring challenged deal deeply heroic efforts 