Fire

The opening salvo of her trilogy about Indian society ( Earth and Water are the other two), Fire contrasts duty and tradition with desire and freedom by focusing on two frustrated wives who gravitate towards each other in a lesbian relationship. Ashok cannot have children; his wife Radha (Shabana Azmi) is barren, so he has taken a vow of chastity and actively practices resisting sexual desire by testing himself with his agreeable wife. ... Full Review

Fire, her third feature, written, directed and produced by Mehta herself, has so far won 14 international awards. In my view," says Mehta, "the really unforgivable thing was that nobody knew where the line was going to be until two days prior (to it becoming effective on the day of independence on August 15, 1947). ... Full Review

Winning numerous awards at various international film festivals, "Fire" was actually warmly received as a movie by general Indian audiences. Fire" comes across as a breath of fresh air, giving credibility to its two main actresses amidst a climate of putting precedence of looks over acting ability. ... Full Review

The New York Times noted the movie 'is a powerful and disturbing reminder of how a civilization can suddenly crack under certain pressures. There were a few things Foreman did not like: 'And although Earth strains to be fair to all parties, it is not what you would call a subtle film. ... Full Review

The results aren't exactly subtle, and the film's certainly not perfect, but it does pack a pretty potent wallop. ... Full Review

But this new film about contemporary Indian life (in English), opening today at the Castro and the Act 1 & 2 in Berkeley, is an alluring visual experience that shows how the emerging relationship severely upsets the order of things ... Full Article

DEEPA MEHTA'S "Fire" is a plea for women's self-determination that, for all its good intentions, will probably strike viewers in this country as a bit obvious. The film depicts a middle-class family in today's New Delhi, where feminist ideas are ... Full Article

Deepa Mehta 's ``Fire'' arrives advertised as the first Indian film about lesbianism.Among other recent Indian productions (according to the Hindu, the national newspaper) are films about tranvestism, eunuchs, sadomasochism and male homosexuality. ... Full Article