Short film depicts water scarcity issues and its impact on women globally

Shekhar Kapur's "Paani" might not have seen the light of the day, but that hasn't deterred him from making a film on the water crisis.

The filmmaker has collaborated with WaterAid to create a short animation "Brides of the Well", adapted from a story written by Kapur himself. It highlights water scarcity issues and how it impacts on women and girls globally, read a statement.

Narrated by "Bend it like Beckham" star Parminder Nagra, "Brides of the Well" tells the story of Saraswati and Paras, who are forced into child marriage and a life of servitude, centred around walking long distances to collect water for their ageing husbands. It launched on Thursday to mark the International Day of the Girl.

Though fictional, Kapur's film highlights the plight of young girls across India who -- like those depicted in his animation movie -- are bound to a life dominated by walking long distances to collect water.

"Water is one of the world's most precious resources. But for those who live with water on tap, it can be difficult to imagine how life would be if the water wasn't so accessible," Kapur said.

"That is why I wanted to tell the story of Paras and Saraswati and show how people across the world live every day without water, dictating their futures, dreams and prospects. It is a great injustice that 1 in 9 people still live without access to clean water around the world."

V.K. Madhavan, Chief Executive at WaterAid India, added: "The burden of fetching water is predominantly borne by women and girls, preventing them from reaching their full potential. This affects their education, health and livelihood opportunities. This must change."

WaterAid worked with visual storytelling agency Nucco Brain to bring the story to life, with creative input from Kapur and music composed by Yao Wang.

If we talk about "Paani", Kapur's ambitious project had to go on floors in mid-2013 with Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead role. But nothing has been announced on that front.

(With inputs from agencies.)