Deepa Mehta got an overwhelming response when her splendidly sublime "Water" was screened in the Pakistani city of Karachi.

"There were people sobbing at the end of the film. They don't know the plight of Hindu widows. But they completely understood the climate, context and geo-politics," Deepa told IANS.

"At the Q & A session after the film, I was stunned when women told me, 'We don't have widows like those in your film. But the plight of our divorced women is much, much worse.' I think cinema needs to grow wings, acquire a significance beyond entertainment."

Interestingly, Deepa held fort in Karachi on her own. A lot of people wondered why her lead pair John Abraham and Lisa Ray didn't accompany her.

But John was recovering from an attack of typhoid and Lisa was busy with her international assignments.

"That's ok," Deepa said generously. "The important thing is, the message of 'Water' is getting across. I just want the film to be released in India now," she said.