The Accented Cinema: A Narrative Analysis of Bollywood film Water

Abstract

The cinema act as a mass medium that project intangible reality related to the socio-cultural setting of an era with reference to gender portrayal that may envelope the viewers perception. This article focusses on the re-presentation of gender disparity in the film Water (2005) directed by Deepa Mehta. The study seeks to identify the discrepancies in terms of gender dichotomous role in the film contextually situated before the partition of Indo-Pak subcontinent. By examining the film as case study, the qualitative research design is employed to critically evaluate the underlying thematic frameworks like male dominancy, child marriages, plight of widows and symbolic re-presentation of women in accented cinema. The narrative analysis method is adopted to understand the thematic construction of gender discriminatory narrative based on socio-cultural and economic factors of that era. The findings suggest the notion of privileged gender disparity and unquestioned traditions under the umbrella of cultural beliefs that were downplaying the role of women. Moreover, the conventional portrayal of the widow as ‘devoid of substantial agency’ makes them powerless to voice out their grievances. The film is a critic to the time-honored facet of the culture, so that the deplorable condition of the underprivileged class can be highlighted.