Fire, a controversial movie produced by Deepa Mehta, provides an interesting look at some characters from India’s burgeoning middle class. Although India is rapidly modernizing, her culture is not keeping up. This film depicts a patriarchal society, where women are not yet truly free citizens. Already married, the young and beautiful Shabana Azmi playing the role of Radha, embarks on her quest to find a true relationship. Radha was married to Jatin’s older brother (played by Jatin Javas), who fails to uphold his duties as a husband. Radha eventually finds comfort in Sita, Jatins’ older brothers’ wife. Radha and Sita secretly explore the sexual world constantly wondering if they are doing wrong. Constantly battling their husbands and themselves, Sita and Radha find pleasure by spending time with each other while becoming a couple of their own.

The movie is highly provocative and culturally challenging. The heart of the movie lies in its ability to accurately depict the conservative and unequal nature of some cultural beliefs.

Memorable Quote:

Sita: Isn’t it amazing? We’re so bound by customs and rituals. Somebody just has to press my button, this button marked Tradition, and I start responding like a trained monkey. Do I shock you?
Radha: Yes.
Sita: You’re lovely.

Gandhi My Father

Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Darshan Zariwala, Shefali Shah, Bhoomika Chawla
Direction: Feroz Abbas Khan

The film is based on Gandhian Scholar, Chandulal Dalal’s book, Harilal Gandhi: A Life. Gandhi My Father is Dalal’s attempt to recreate his book in the form of a feature film.

Harilal, Gandhi’s son who is played by Akshaye Khanna, is a follower of his father Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals. However, when his father denies him the opportunity to study law in Great Britain, a rift is created between the two. Consequently, Harilal spends years roaming the streets like a beggar, converts to Islam as an act of rebellion, converts back to Hinduism as penance, and finally drinks himself to death.

The heart of this film lies in its depiction of the sufferings of the patriarchal relationship between one of the world’s most loved figures – Mahatma Gandhi – and his eldest son Harilal. It brings to light an unknown facet of the personal history of a man who transformed the soul of a nation, but who could not save the soul of his own son. It delves deep into the personal tragedy that Gandhi kept secret from the world. Gandhi’s greatest failure was his inability to be a father to his own son. As the world gained respect for Gandhi, his son rebuked and hated his father.

While the film has many loopholes in the script and leaves a lot of things unexplained, it remains emotionally engaging. While the film is initially presented as a criticism of Gandhi’s parenting abilities, it manages to be fair to both Gandhi and Harilal.

Performances of all the principal characters are superlative, be it Akshaye Khanna as Harilal, Darshan Jariwala as Mahatma Gandhi, Shefali Shah as Kasturba Gandhi and Bhumika Chawla as Harilal’s wife, Gulab.

This film is definitely a must watch.