Product Description
Banned in India, Fire is the first film to confront lesbianism in a culture adamantly denying such a love could ever exist.
Shabana Azmi shines as Radha Kapur in this taboo-breaking portrayal of contemporary India and the hidden desires that threaten to defy traditional expectations.
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, Sita (Nandita Das), seeks to free herself from the confines of her own loveless marriage and into the supple embrace of Radha.
The latest feature from veteran film director Deepa Mehta is an enthralling examination of a New Delhi family in the midst of transformation.
Radha (the stunning Shabana Azmi) is unwavering in her devotion to her husband Ashok (Kulbushan Kharbanda), despite their barren and sexless arranged marriage. For 15 years Radha has been the consummate Indian wife while Ashok, under the guidance of a spiritual leader, is attempting to rid himself completely of any form of desire. Meanwhile, Ashoks brother Jatin (Jaaved Jaaferi) has brought home his new wife Sita (Nandita Das), but is unwilling to give up his relationship with his Chinese girlfriend.
Added to the mix are Biji (Kushal Rekhi), Ashok and Jatins infirm mother, who keeps a watchful eye over the family, and Mundu (Ranjit Chowdhry), who works in the familys restaurant and video store under their small apartment. Slowly, Sitas presence causes the threads that held the family together to unravel. Each member tries to hang on to a semblance of allegiance to the deeply rooted traditions of Indian family life, while at the same time seeking expression for their own personal needs and desires. Unable to woo her new husband, the young and feisty Sita is the first to question the order of things. Her doubts are contagious, and soon Radhas devotion begins to waver too. Deprived of their husbands affections, the two women draw closer together in ways neither imagined.
Starring: Shabana Azmi & Nandita Das.
