Fire

1996

1h 44m

Drama

List

89%

27 Reviews

Tomatometer

81%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Sita (Nandita Das) and Radha (Shabana Azmi) are two Indian women stuck in loveless marriages. While Sita is trapped in an arranged relationship with her cruel and unfaithful husband, Jatin (Jaaved Jaafei), Radha is married to his brother, Ashok (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), a religious zealot who believes in suppressing desire. As the two women recognize their similar situations, they grow closer, and their relationship becomes far more involved than either of them could have anticipated.

Read More

Read Less

Critics Consensus

Fire takes a slow-burning approach to its exploration of illicit love, trading overwhelming heat for a seductive warmth that lingers.

Read Critics Reviews

dave j

Co-produced, written and directed by Deepa Mehta with 2 married loveless women of Rahda (Shabana Azmi) Sita (Nandita Das) seeking both comfort and compassion with one another they do not get from their marriage spouses of Ashok (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) and Jatin (Jaaved Jaafei) all live in the same apartment complex managing and operating a food and movie rental shop.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It is a beautifully told love story. The actresses give wonderful performances. You will fall in love with the lovers struggle to overcome a world of adversity.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

richard f

this trilogy is marvelous

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It will break ur heart!!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The film Fire by Deepa Mehta explores the lives of two married lesbian women in New Delhi, India. The tale of two families, both religious followers, gives an insight into the lives of married women and how homosexuality and freedom are viewed in a Hindu community. Although the film provoked controversy in India, Mehta revealed the tragic and difficult sacrifices women, especially those like Sita and Radha, must make to please their husbands, follow family tradition and hide their true feelings. The film introduces a new and unique concept of staying loyal to a religion and still being able to fulfill the sexual desires and love between two women, which is one of the four goals of Hinduism called Kama. The history of homosexuality in Hinduism dates way back to when the Vedas were written, which would be at about 4000 BCE to 1000 BCE. Although it is not stated in the Vedas, there is reference to homo-eroticism and pictures depicting homosexuality can be found on temples. It can also be found in the Kama Sutra. There is no one view on homosexuality from the religion because it has to be judged according to the context. However, Hinduism generally has a neutral and healthy opinion with homosexuality as there is no specific doctrine that must be followed. Hindu teachers have stated that people are born with different interests and tendencies due to their Kama in their previous life. Despite the views of Hindu teachers, the biggest conflict that many people have with homosexuality is the tradition of having a family with multiple children. Although this is slightly more cultural than religious, the conflicts with homosexuality usually lie in the desire and normality to have many children. The film mainly focused on the families who were against homosexuality and their traditional belief system. Homosexuality was viewed as a negative thing and was condemned by everyone in their household. The craft of this film showed both the beautiful and disturbing aspects of purity and loyalty in Hinduism. The two aspects of religion and love are shown in the film through the traditions and relationships that are formed. The traditions, such as Pujab and Karva Chauth, educated me about the devotion practices of religion while the love and marriages educated me about the emotional aspects. Additionally, the varying scenes showed the different lives of many women and men that all shared a common belief of Hinduism. Each scene reflected on many of the social injustices that Hindu women face because of how their culture has evolved. In addition to this, the film adds on another layer of inequality that the LGBTQ+ community faces everywhere in the world. However, the film shows the opinions of those who are against homosexuality in Hinduism which allows anyone in the audience to connect with the movie no matter what their opinions are. Personally, it was easy for me to connect with the younger character Sita. Sita is surrounded by those who have experienced and know more than her and is learning from the outcomes of her choices. While she may be young, Sita is also full of passion and excitement to learn about and explore her life. Despite the fact that I will never be in her position, I can connect my excitement and learning in my life with her motivation to find love and passion where ever it may lie. Throughout the past 14 years, I have been trying to explore my life by traveling and making the most of my opportunities and education. This is similar to how Sita tries to explore her life within the traditions of Hinduism by learning how to cook and follow Hindu marriage traditions from Radha. Deepa Mehta has created one of the only films in the world that explores the perspectives and lives of two lesbian Hindu women in modern India. The film spreads awareness of the hidden and challenging circumstances that would otherwise not be know to audiences around the world. Despite the small minority that fall into this category, Mehta has crafted a film that can connect with an audience to create a more accepting and empathetic society for these women. Although the film can be graphic and disturbing at times, I would rate it 4 stars for the interesting plot and unique method to educate those about Hinduism and the social pressure that comes with it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Deep, powerful, intelligent, complex, challenging, feminist film about desire and the chains of tradition in modern Indian society told with warmth, humour and compassion.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Deepa Mehta

Director

Shabana Azmi

Radha

Nandita Das

Sita

Kulbhushan Kharbanda

Ashok

Jaaved Jaafei

Jatin

Ranjit Chowdhry

Mundu

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

71%

86%

Silent Waters

89%

85%

The Clay Bird

71%

90%

Black

52%

77%

American Chai

73%

79%

The Last Kiss

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Xan Brooks

Independent (UK)

Strong ensemble playing riffs nicely off [writer and director Deepa] Mehta's taboo- bucking script.

Mar 29, 2019

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 28, 2003

Full Review

Guinevere Turner

The Advocate

Funny, poignant, and sensual, Fire is a beautiful, painful experience.

Jun 1, 2022

Full Review

Judith M. Redding

Curve

Beautiful cinematography makes Fire a delight for the eye, and the film's political messages will really make you think.

May 24, 2022

Full Review

Nisha Mehta

Sojourner

The plot is tender, absorbing, and rich with a very South Asian brand of understated humor and a message that ultimately transcends culture.

Aug 14, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Sita (Nandita Das) and Radha (Shabana Azmi) are two Indian women stuck in loveless marriages. While Sita is trapped in an arranged relationship with her cruel and unfaithful husband, Jatin (Jaaved Jaafei), Radha is married to his brother, Ashok (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), a religious zealot who believes in suppressing desire. As the two women recognize their similar situations, they grow closer, and their relationship becomes far more involved than either of them could have anticipated.

Director: Deepa Mehta
Producer: Suresh Bhalla, David Hamilton
Screenwriter: Deepa Mehta
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Hindi
Box Office (Gross USA): $555.9K
Runtime: 1h 44m