by Subhash K Jha

Water is fast acquiring the reputation of being the most internationally feted Indian film since Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali.

After a screening in the US, litterateur Salman Rushdie described Water as a "magnificent film" and compared Mehta to Satyajit Ray.

"I'm deeply flattered by such comparisons. It just goes to show that the theme of humanism that Ray advocated has found its echoes in my Water," says Deepa

. Speaking on the film's recent screening in the US Depa says, "It was an evening I'd never forget. Everywhere I've gone with Water, the reaction has been that of stunned silence at the end. At the LA screening it was no different. And yet it was different.

There were dignitaries from all professions at the screening. They were just so overpowered. Seema Biswas' performance has them specially moved. Audiences in the West don't remember her as the Bandit Queen at all.

She's totally unrecognizable as the voice of reason Shakuntala in Water. We've so far had screenings in Washington, New York and LA. The impact is stunning. Our distributors Searchlight Fox are unleashing the kind of promotion and marketing in the US that's unheard of for a Hindi-language film."

Onto her forthcoming project. "I'm working on the script of my historical opus Kamagata Maru which I've now titled Exclusion. Once it's finished it will be sent to Mr Bachchan for his green signal. But I don't want to rush it. Water isn't allowing me to move away."

Before getting into Exclusion Deepa wants to do a comedy tentatively titled Stella. "It's a wacky fun comedy about a woman who's an out-and-out con person. I've just spoken to the Bollywood actress that I've in mind for the role. And she seems all for it. Now we just need to work out her dates. And we're on."