Like "Bandit Queen" and "Maya," "Water" bravely delves into outmoded social traditions of India, thus roiling the waters of religious fundamentalism, which might mean that Deepa Mehta's film will never get past the censors in that country. [...] the film, whose sheer beauty and compelling storytelling is equal to its social protest, really is made with one eye on the international market. "Water" is another in the new wave of Indian movies that seek to bring Indian culture and cinema to audiences beyond the Indian diaspora.

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