Deepa Mehta has finished shooting Water, the controversial feature that got her burned in effigy and chased out of India by political and religious protestors four years ago. The picture wrapped in June after a top-secret four-month stay in Sri Lanka and is now in post at Deluxe in Toronto, according to producer David Hamilton.

‘We kept as low a profile as possible this time,’ he says. The picture shot under a fake name, Full Moon, and was presented to local press and officials as a romantic comedy – a followup to Mehta’s 2002 film Bollywood/Hollywood. ‘We couldn’t hide that Deepa was involved, but she’s made other pictures, so that’s what we told them. The press took interest, but not too much interest.’

Water recounts the plight of Indian widows in the 1930s who, shunned by society, are forced into poverty. The film stars John Abraham and Toronto-born Bollywood icon Lisa Ray. The story is a touchy subject in India and set off a storm of controversy when Mehta tried to shoot in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in 2000. Protestors sent in death threats, burned down the set and threw its charred remains into the Ganges river.

And yet, the second attempt has been something of an open secret among Canadian moviemakers since prep began last year. ‘But everybody knew to keep as quiet as possible,’ says Hamilton – the labs, the funding organizations, the cast and crew. ‘Everybody was part of the conspiracy.

Mehta again worked with Giles Nuttgens, DOP for both Earth and Fire. Mychael Danna (The Snow Walker, Hulk) composed the music, and Dylan Gray and Jack Boem were first and second ADs, respectively.

Water is backed by Telefilm Canada, The Harold Greenberg Fund, Astral Media and TMN/Movie Channel, plus an advance from distributor Mongrel Media, which has the Canadian rights. It completes Mehta’s ‘elemental trilogy’ that began with 1996’s Fire and Earth in 1998.

Hamilton says the shoot went smoothly except for some sick days and trouble with the local wildlife – a 20-foot python and a pair of monitor lizards made repeat visits to the set, and many of the cast and crew caught Dengue fever. ‘Deepa came to set with a 103.5 temperature,’ he recalls. ‘We didn’t let her stay, but she came and blocked everything out. She’s tough.’

A release date has not been set, although Hamilton expects the pic will hit the festival circuit in 2005.