I8217;ve followed all rules 8212; Mehta

VARANASI, JANUARY 30: At a time when she should have been working out her scenes and interacting with her actors, Deepa Mehta was busy tal...

VARANASI, JANUARY 30: At a time when she should have been working out her scenes and interacting with her actors, Deepa Mehta was busy talking to politicians. That was when she still had hope and the UP government was making up its mind on the film.

Mehta, who arrived in Varanasi with her cast and crew some weeks ago, said it was heart breaking that the RSS was objecting to her film being shot here. quot;I8217;ve followed all the rules, obtained all the required permissions,quot; she said. Water, Mehta8217;s third film in her element trilogy, is set in the thirties, and on one level is the story of widows, quot;and about a passion for liberation.quot;

I8217;ve followed all the rules8217; Atilde;?quot;There is absolutely nothing in the script that is objectionable to Kashi or the people of Kashi,quot; she insisted and explained 8220;there are some baseless rumours doing the rounds, and I have no control over them.quot; The filmmaker also revealed that this latest controversy made it difficult for her to stay focussed on the creative part ofmovie-making.

Her cast, was however rehearsing diligently over the last few days. quot;It is important to spend time rehearsing scenes because it helps you break barriers and encourages you to establish relationships with your co-actors,quot; said Shabana Azmi who has shaved off her hair, and sports a completely bald look for the film. The actress, who plays one of the many widows in this film, explained: quot;I think it is essential to internalise what the widow has gone through.

Besides, it was important for me to surrender my vanity and shed my hair.quot; Nandita Das, who also features in Water, is currently sporting a very short crop, but reveals that in a scene on camera, her character will also go hairless. The film also features matinee idol Akshay Kumar in the role of an idealist inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, who falls in love with a widow played by Nandita Das, yesteryear8217;s screen-vamp Manorama, and Toronto-based actress Ronica Sajnani.

Another pivotal part is played by eight-year-old Mumbai-basedchild-artiste Urvi who essays the role of a child-widow in the film. quot;She8217;s the catalyst in this story,quot; Mehta said of the young girl8217;s character. quot;She8217;s an energetic, bright child who isn8217;t as accepting of tradition as the older widows are,quot; the filmmaker explained.

Mehta revealed that she landed on the germ of the idea for Water in Varanasi itself, seven years ago, while shooting an episode of the international television series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. quot;The film is a celebration of the dignity of women, and I want for people to see that,quot; she says. quot;I wish people would let the film be made before judging it,quot; she rued.