Oscar does not go to Water

And the Oscar does not go to Water

Press Trust of India
Posted online: Monday, February 26, 2007 at 0000 hours IST

Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the film scored over Water, After the Wedding from Denmark, Days of Glory ("Indigenes") from Algeria and Pan's Labyrinth, from Mexico.

India-born writer-director Deepa Mehta's Water, a story about the plight of Hindu widows in 1930s, failed to win the best foreign film Oscar losing out to Germany's The Lives of Others.

The Oscar jinx that has dogged Indian filmmakers continued as the film, a Canadian entry, lost to the movie based on the life of a playwright and his actress-girlfriend in 1980s East Berlin.

In 2002, Ashutosh Gowarikar's Lagaan lost to No Man's Land, a film based on the Balkan issue. Earlier Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957) and Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay (1988) had also made it to top five but failed to win the coveted Academy award.

Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the film scored over Water, After the Wedding from Denmark, Days of Glory ("Indigenes") from Algeria and Pan's Labyrinth, from Mexico.

Mehta, however, turned heads in her fashion choice for the evening, walking the red carpet in an exquisite vintage red and gold sari.

"This sari belongs to my mother," Mehta said. "She got it from her mother. So it is three generations old."

Joining Mehta were Water co-stars John Abraham, in a black sherwani, and Lisa Ray, who donned a gold satin gown with a plunging neckline.

Water's shooting in India had to be scrapped following protests from Sangh Parivar outfits and it was completed in Sri Lanka.

well as long as it reached oscars i guess. also it was getting alot of secon thoughts as it was a iased view of Deepa Mehta's towards the Indian rituals 😕

Originally posted by: wite_rainbow

well as long as it reached oscars i guess. also it was getting alot of secon thoughts as it was a iased view of Deepa Mehta's towards the Indian rituals 😕

Yeah it is not easy to reach oscar considering there are about 194 countries in the world. Even if 50 of them be making movies..By permutation and combination it takes about 50 years for a foreign country to be getting an oscar..So looks like it is about time for India to get one by law of averages..I am not sure how most Indians may be feeling about getting an oscar, probably they may not at all care..

I have not seen Water, but from what I have read abt it - I am not too sure if the movie would have even made it to the final 5 if it was not a more internationally renouned director like Deepa Mehta making it.. My question is - if a Rajkumar Hirani or a Nagesh Kukunoor would have made the film, would it still make it... Technically and content wise, I dont see a reason why a Rang De Basanti, or a Lage Raho Munnabhai or an Iqbal does not make it.. Just because these are happy movies and deal with a non-controversial subject? What are we honoring here - the cinematic brilliance or the controversy?

Originally posted by: *Jaya*

I have not seen Water, but from what I have read abt it - I am not too sure if the movie would have even made it to the final 5 if it was not a more internationally renouned director like Deepa Mehta making it.. My question is - if a Rajkumar Hirani or a Nagesh Kukunoor would have made the film, would it still make it... Technically and content wise, I dont see a reason why a Rang De Basanti, or a Lage Raho Munnabhai or an Iqbal does not make it.. Just because these are happy movies and deal with a non-controversial subject? What are we honoring here - the cinematic brilliance or the controversy?

I am not sure who are the people who comprises the jury for selecting Oscar winner among the foreign films..Their biases, prejudices and how they percieve the outside world will determine who the winner is..If you talk to Americans here, you are surprized to see how ignorant and wrong notions they have about outside world. Just my pov

Water was bnot good jut because it was controversal subject. Its characters, music (Just Awwsome) picturization, every aspect is too good. It keeps you intact.
ERang de Basanti, great picture but i felt very dry. Story actually starts after the death of Maghwan, before that it just drags. Same thing I felt for Lagaan. Aamir made these great movies but they seem to be dragging at some point. For Munnabhai, great movie again but more on entertaining. I was personally not too impressed with the acting skill of anyone other then Sanjay dutt, Arshad, Vidhya and Boman are becoming very typical and irritating. But as a hero, Sanjay with Vidya , he really looks old. I still wish any of these to nominate/ win, but overall, we did get some quality movies this year. Well one of these days may be Karan Johar can produce a Oscar nomination 😃

Originally posted by: Sur_Sangam

I am not sure who are the people who comprises the jury for selecting Oscar winner among the foreign films..Their biases, prejudices and how they percieve the outside world will determine who the winner is..If you talk to Americans here, you are surprized to see how ignorant and wrong notions they have about outside world. Just my pov

No I know you are right - and most of the times, cinema that further strengthens their bias and prejudice is what is termed as great... I remember having a conversation with one of my clients last year.. she had just watched Bride and Prejudice.. and she was seriously asking me questions if we do have things like the Snake dance and wedding on elephants still in India... Now how to do you even respond to such illusions!

Originally posted by: Swar_Raj

Water was bnot good jut because it was controversal subject. Its characters, music (Just Awwsome) picturization, every aspect is too good. It keeps you intact.
ERang de Basanti, great picture but i felt very dry. Story actually starts after the death of Maghwan, before that it just drags. Same thing I felt for Lagaan. Aamir made these great movies but they seem to be dragging at some point. For Munnabhai, great movie again but more on entertaining. I was personally not too impressed with the acting skill of anyone other then Sanjay dutt, Arshad, Vidhya and Boman are becoming very typical and irritating. But as a hero, Sanjay with Vidya , he really looks old. I still wish any of these to nominate/ win, but overall, we did get some quality movies this year. Well one of these days may be Karan Johar can produce a Oscar nomination 😃

I agree - Water probably had one of the finest music scores from Rehman... I have not seen the movie so I will not comment on the other aspects of it.. but I an still wondering how Lisa Ray (knowing her acting abilities) will do justice to a role that was earlier supossed to be portrayed by the immensely talented Nandita Das... I must watch it to find it out...

As for RDB - to me, the weaker portion of the movie was rather the end... Yes, the very dramatic climax is probably what made it so popular with the youth.. but was a little too sensational for it to actually happen.. The first half of the movie could tdo with crisper editing... but even the lighter theme has its subtle moments which Hindi cinema had not seen for long...

Lagaan - I totally agree... The movie became such a roar, as it combined the british rule with cricket.. two things that Indians are very passionate about... It was a brand new and daring theme yes.. But Swades to me was a better movie than Lagaan...

LRMB - I think Arshad had the finest performance in the movie.. He carried the movie.. Vidya was also very refreshing.. She has acted too less to already be typed for something... Yes, Boman dissapointed me in the movie... Hope to see a better side of him in MB-3... Sanjay was good but not as great in Part 1.. In fact Bapu was very impressive in the movie...

But overall 2006 has been a good good year for movies... Infact Omkara I think had a very tight editing some wonderful individual performances to.. But, it being an Indian adaptation of Othello, anyways had little chances to make it to Oscars...

Originally posted by: snowflake0555

Water? 😕

Water is a movie directed by India-born writer-director Deepa Mehta.It was nominated this year for Oscars in the foreign film category.😊

It got the highest amount of votes like 15%