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Fire: Igniting the sexual Taboos

Suggested Citation: Sinha, S. (2021, June 3). “Fire”: Igniting the sexual Taboos. Queer Academia. URL

“Fire”: Igniting the sexual Taboos | Stuti Sinha

 This essay explores the movie “Fire”, India’s first lesbian movie[1] released in November 1998, from a feminist perspective. It focuses on the overlap of Indian culture and sexuality.

Overview of the movie

Fire, a film by Deepa Mehta is about two sisters-in-law, Radha (Shabana Azmi) and Sita (Nandita Das), who are married to two brothers Ashok and Jatin. All of them live under the same roof. Both Radha and Sita were neglected emotionally and sexually by their husbands. Soon they discover that they love each other and establish a sexual relationship. What makes the movie more interesting is the fact that it is set within the boundaries of Indian culture within the late ‘90s.

Cultural Oppression and Sexuality

The movie depicts how women are not allowed to explore their own sexuality and if they do, are met with emotional and possibly physical violence because they are blamed for destroying the sanctity of marriage. “A woman without a husband is like plain rice: bland and unappetizing,”  says Sita further she adds “it must be an Indian saying”, which outlines the condition of women in Indian society during that period of the ‘90s. So much so that a character Ashok says, “It is sin in the eyes of God and man”.  In Indian cinema, homosexuals are always depicted as a comic character and always are the victim of taunting and objectification[2]. Films like “Kya kool Hain Hum”, “Masti” and many more feature the Queer community in a horrific stereotypical manner. In most of the films, they are portrayed as beggars, prostitutes, or molesters who seem to be preying on the hero sexually without their consent[3].

Even though the movie “Fire” received mixed reviews from critics and the Indian press after its release across the country, the movie faced many hurdles and sparked protest in many cities because of its theme of “lesbianism” and because the names of the main protagonists “Sita” and “Radha” derived from Hindu epics and thus allegedly “hurt” Hindu sentiments as well.[4]  Just a few weeks after its release, the film made the news with accounts of attacks by Shiv Saniks who targeted the cinema halls in Mumbai and Delhi where “Fire” was being screened. By the news of a Special screening which was held for women only in Mumbai fueled the actions of Shiv Sena. The reasons cited by the members of Shiv Sena for the film's offensiveness ranged from its themes of “lesbianism”. As a result “Fire” was withdrawn from the movie theatres in these cities. However, the “Fire” controversy can claim the credit for making the plight of lesbians in India publicly visible. [5]

Intersectional Feminism in Indian Context

In Indian culture, women are not only denied to exercise their sexuality by their family but also by religion, caste, nationality, status, culture, gender in society. Here the third wave of feminism in the Indian context comes into the picture.[6] Each person has their struggle against oppression and unique experience of discrimination at different intensities. For example, discrimination faced by a North-Indian infertile lesbian middle-class woman might be different from a South-Indian lesbian high-class woman. This is because of the class boundaries they belong to and also regional differences. To address the issue of all women belonging to any marginalized community, a proper framework is required which recognizes the “difference” of oppression[7]. As shown in the movie, because of Radha’s infertility, her husband Ashok pursued celibacy which he often tests in bed with Radha. He defines Radha’s participation in the test as her “duty” towards him and she being an obedient wife is obliged to do the test to help Ashok maintain celibacy. In a patriarchal society, women are presented as objects who are no different from “baby-making machines” for the patriarchal family. Here the oppression and dominance faced by Radha are different from other women belonging to different social boundaries.[8]

Symbolic end of the Movie

At the very end of the movie occurs when Radha is caught in fire, after her husband Ashok finds out about her lesbian relationship with Sita, and doesn’t try to save her. However, she survives and joins Sita at the Nizamuddin Dargah. This episode is a clear reference to Ramayana, where Goddess Sita, walks through fire to prove her purity and devotion towards her husband Ram. Similarly, in the movie, Radha proves that her innocence, her love for Sita is pure and beyond the norms of society. This love is vindicated by her safe passage through fire.[9] The patriarchal ideology which controls the sexual choice of the woman in Indian culture is challenged at the end of the movie because both Radha and Sita end all cultural bonds with their society and family and seek the end of their heterosexual marriages in order to be together with each other. “See what you can’t see, see without looking”, a dialogue of one of the characters. If one tries to analyze this line in reference to Radha’s life then it can be concluded that even though she could not lead a happy life with Ashok, she was able to lead one with Sita.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to say that a woman's sexuality should not be used to distinguish between the so-called “ideal” woman and a “substandard” woman. As said by Sita in the movie “There is no word in our language that can describe what we are, how we feel for each other”. Homosexuality is widely considered a western concept but in reality, it is not.[10] Many similar Radhas and Sitas are demanding their recognition and claiming their space in Indian society even today. And movies like “Fire” might bring an effective change in contemporary Indian society.

Written by: Stuti Sinha

Edited by: Sanket Sharma

About the Author: Stuti is a first year student at Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida

 

[1] Ghosh, S. G. (2019, Feb 04). Film flashback: ‘Fire’ was the first Indian film to bring women in love out of the shadows. https://scroll.in/reel/911448/film-flashback-fire-was-the-first-indian-film-to-bring-women-in-love-out-of-the-shadows 

[2] Pooja, J., & Rekha, K. P. (2018). Indian Cinema and Its Portrayal of Emotional Complexities of LGBT Community. International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, Vol 119 No. 12, 2853-2870.

https://acadpubl.eu/hub/2018-119-12/articles/7/1818.pdf 

[3] Kaur, P. (2017). Gender, Sexuality and (Be) longing: The Representation of Queer (LGBT) in Hindi Cinema. Amity Journal of Media & Communication Studies (ISSN 2231 – 1033), Vol. 7, No. 1, 22-30.

https://amity.edu/UserFiles/asco/journal/ISSUE50_3.%20Pushpinder.pdf

[4] Kapur, R. (2000,, Spring). Too Hot to Handle: The Cultural Politics of "Fire". Feminist Review, (64),, 53-64.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1395702

[5] John, M., & Niranjana, T. (1999). Mirror Politics: 'Fire', Hindutva and Indian Culture. Economic and Political Weekly, 34(10/11), 581-584. Retrieved May 12, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4407727

[6] P., A. N. (2017, Feb 13). Intersectional Feminism 101: Why It’s Important And What We Must Remember. https://feminisminindia.com/2017/02/13/indian-intersectional-feminism-101/ 

[7] P., A. N. (2017, Feb 13). Intersectional Feminism 101: Why It’s Important And What We Must Remember.

https://feminisminindia.com/2017/02/13/indian-intersectional-feminism-101/ 

[8] D., F.,. B. (2013). Fire, Water and The Goddess: The Films of Deepa Mehta and Satyajit Ray as Critiques of Hindu Patriarchy. Journal of Religion & Film, Vol 17: Iss. 2, Article 3.

https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol17/iss2/3 

[9] R., P. (2018). Suffocating Shell of Sexuality: Politics of Lesbian Identity in Fire. IJRAR- International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews,, Vol 5(Issue 3), 1774-1777. http://ijrar.com/upload_issue/ijrar_issue_1539.pdf 

[10] Vanita, Ruth, "Homosexuality in India: Past and Present" (2002). Global Humanities and Religions Faculty Publications. 5.

https://scholarworks.umt.edu/libstudies_pubs/5

 

Comments

  1. Utpal ladlaJune 4, 2021 at 5:54 AM

    I must say, better observed , having a powerful message and you have done it very well .
    Keep it up stuti👍✌

    ReplyDelete

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