Fire (1996)

7.1PG-13104 minDirector: Deepa Mehta

1996 film

Fire is a 1996 Indo-Canadian romantic drama film written and directed by Deepa Mehta, starring Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das. It is the first installment of Mehta's Elements trilogy; it is succeeded by Earth (1998) and Water (2005).

The film is loosely based on Ismat Chughtai's 1942 story, "Lihaaf" ("The Quilt"). Fire is one of the first mainstream Bollywood films to explicitly show homosexual relations, and the first to feature a lesbian relationship. After its 1998 release in India, activists staged several protests, setting off a flurry of public dialogue around issues such as homosexuality and freedom of speech.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Fire about?
Fire (1996) — In a barren, arranged marriage to an amateur swami who seeks enlightenment through celibacy, Radha's life takes an irresistible turn when her beautiful young sister-in-law seeks to free herself from the confines of her own loveless marriage.
Is Fire based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Fire scary?
Content rating: PG-13. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.