The Forgotten Woman

“The Forgotten Woman” was inspired, says the filmmaker Dilip Mehta, by the success of “Water,” an Oscar-nominated drama directed by his sister, Deepa Mehta, about the marginalization of widows in India.
Mr. Mehta’s picture is a documentary, and while it ought to be included on every future copy of the “Water” DVD, his free-form portrait of real widows has more than enough visual beauty, graceful compassion and understated anger to stand on its own.
As for the women we meet, they mostly stoop, their spines bent by age and neglect, stigmatized by a society that is failing on a spectacular scale to care for its elderly. There are some 20 million such women in India, according to the movie.
Mr. Mehta, a seasoned photojournalist, puts an unforgettable face on a problem of unimaginable scope. He has a terrific eye for colorful details — a monkey scrambling in the background of an interview, golden sunlight dancing in a fountain — and an unfussy confidence in the ability of his camera to soak up the simple, rich flavors of his subject without resorting to the picturesque or maudlin.
Da The New York Times, 8 Agosto 2008