Fire is a completely unusual Indian film looking at homosexuality and forbidden desire within a New Delhi household. Written and directed by Deepa Mehta, this English language film caused a storm on its release in India where the main right-wing party in Bombay tried to get it banned. They were unsuccessful and despite the fact that the film is about a lesbian relationship, a subject which is considered taboo in India, it was released uncensored. Fire enjoyed a certain commercial success, at least in India's big cities and throughout the world, the film has been shown to great acclaim.

The story is centred around Radha (Shabana Azmi) who runs a take-away with husband Ashok (Kulbushan Kharbanda). They live in a typically close-knit Punjabi family set-up, sharing the house with Ashok's old mother, younger brother Jatin (Jaaved Jaaferi) and his young bride Sita (Nandita Das). Radha and Sita, at first become close friends and allies in the world of their uncaring, cold and callous husbands but soon, their closeness develops into love, both spiritual and physical.