CULTURAL ASPECT AS DEFINED IN TERMS OF CONTROVERSY 1

FIRE (1996 FILM)

Fire is one of the first mainstream Bollywood films to explicitly show homosexual relations, and the first to
feature a lesbian relationship.

PLOT
The film opens with young Radha sitting in a mustard field with her parents.
Her mother tells her a tale of a person who wanted to see the ocean, but
Radha says that she does not understand the moral of the story. The film
flashes forward to Sita, a newly married woman on honeymoon with her
husband Jatin, who is distant and shows little interest in Sita. Jatin is in a typical
joint-family arrangement - he lives with his older brother Ashok, his sister-in-law
Radha, his paralysed mother Biji and the family servant Mundu. Ashok and Jatin
run a small store that sells food and rents videotapes. Jatin shows no care for
Sita, and continues to date his modern Chinese girlfriend, and Sita does not
rebuke him.
Sita spends her days slaving in the hot kitchen, and finds herself lonely and frustrated at night because Jatin is
out with his girlfriend. She yearns to break out of this
stifling situation. Hindi फायर
It is revealed that Radha faces a similar problem.
Many years ago, Ashok had come under the influence Directed by Deepa Mehta
of Swamiji, a local religious preacher, who teaches
that desires are the cause of suffering and must be  Bobby Bedi
Produced by
suppressed. Ashok is completely taken by these
 Deepa Mehta
monastic teachings and suppresses all his desires.

While the older Radha remains bound by tradition and Written by Deepa Mehta
subdued into silence, the younger Sita refuses to accept Starring  Nandita Das
her fate. Sita's attitude slowly spills over onto Radha,
who becomes slightly more assertive. One evening,  Shabana Azmi
shunned by their husbands
CONTROVERSIES and driven to desperation by
AND REACTIONS
their unfulfilled longings, Radha and Sita seek solace in Music by A. R. Rahman
each
On 2 other and become
December(3 Weekslovers. Overjoyed
after the release at of finding
the Cinematography Giles Nuttgens
satisfaction
movie), more in than
this manner,
200 ShivtheySanaiks stormed
continue it inasecret. Edited by Barry Farrell
They eventually realise their love for each other and start Production
Cinemax theatre in suburban Goregaon in Mumbai,
 Kaleidoscope
looking
smashing forglass
wayspanes,
to moveburning
out. The
posters
pair'sanddaily
shouting
antics and companies
adventures
slogans. They arecompelled
witnessedmanagers
by Biji, who disapproves,
to refund ticketsbut
to is Entertainment
unable
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to stop Onthem.
3 December,
After some
a Regal
time,theatre
Mundu becomes
aware of their
in Delhi was relationship,
similarly andMina
stormed. he causes Ashok
Kulkarni, onetoofwalk  Trial by Fire Films
in
theonDelhi
Radhaprotesters
and Sita.explained the reasoning behind
their actions, saying, "If women's physical needs get Distributed by Zeitgeist Films
Ashok is through
fulfilled horrified.lesbian
He is also shattered
acts, when he
the institution of finds this Release date  6 September 1996 (TI
incident
marriagehas willstoked his own
collapse, long-dormant
reproduction desire.
of human Sita
beings FF)
decides to
will stop." pack her belongings and leave the house
immediately, while Radha stays behind in order to talk to  5 November 1998 (In
her husband.
Following AshokSena attacks
the Shiv confronts Radha,
on thewhofilm,overcomes
prominent
her
partysubservience
members said Fire had
and pours out been
hertargeted
emotions. because
Amid this
it dia)
argument, Radha'sand
was an "immoral saripornographic"
catches fire, andfilmAshok angrily
"against Running time 108 minutes[1]
watches her burn without helping. Radha puts out the
flames and recalls her mother's advice from when she Country  India
was young - she can finally see her ocean.
 Canada
An injured Radha leaves Ashok, moving out in order to
 CULTURAL ASPECT AS DEFINED IN TERMS OF CONTROVERSY 2

Indian tradition and culture." The lesbian relationship depicted in the film was criticised as "not a part of
Indian history or culture."

Theatres in Surat and Pune stopped screening the film. Twenty-nine people were arrested in Mumbai in
connection with these incidents. Chief Minister Manohar Joshi supported the actions to shut down
screenings of Fire, saying, "I congratulate them for what they have done. The film's theme is alien to our
culture."

On 5 December a group of film personalities and free speech activists, including Deepa Mehta, Indian movie
star Dilip Kumar, and director Mahesh Bhatt, submitted a 17-page petition to the Supreme Court asking that a
"sense of security" be provided, in addition to basic protection, so that the film could be screened
smoothly. The petition referenced articles 14, 19, 21, 25 of the Indian Constitution, which promise the right
to equality, life and liberty, freedom of speech and expression, freedom of conscience, free expression of
religious practice and belief, and the right to hold peaceful meetings.

Fire was re-released without cuts by the Censor Board on 12 February 1999. Theatre screenings were
resumed on 26 February and continued without incident.

FIRE AND LESBIAN RIGHTS IN INDIA

The movie encouraged lesbians and gay rights activists in India to be more vocal about their existence. A new
lesbian rights group, calling themselves the Campaign for Lesbian Rights (CALERI), formed in response to the
backlash. This group held their own peaceful gatherings across India.

In the weeks following its release, reviewers praised the film's explicit depiction of a homosexual relationship
as "gutsy", "explosive", and "path breaking".

Gay activist Ashok Row Kavi criticised the Shiv Sena's protests as "gay-bashing" and disputed their claims that
lesbianism was "against Indian tradition", indicating that homosexuality is in fact abundantly present
in Hinduism. Pointing to evidence of lesbianism in Indian tradition, he said, "What's wrong in two women
having sex? If they think it doesn't happen in the Indian society they should see the sculptures
of Khajuraho or Konark."

"Lesbianism is just another aspect of the film...Fire is not a film about lesbians," but rather about "the
choices we make in life."