‘Remember Every Moment’: Nandita Das Watches Fire Again With Deepa Mehta | Bollywood News

Last Updated:December 12, 2025, 13:45 IST

Fire is the first instalment of Deepa Mehta’s Elements trilogy, which starred Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das in lead roles.

When Deepa Mehta’s Fire was released, it sparked controversy, with activists staging multiple protests. The film ignited widespread public debate on topics such as homosexuality and freedom of speech. It’s the first instalment of Deepa’s Elements trilogy, which starred Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das in lead roles.

Now after almost 25 years, Nandita Das revisited the critically acclaimed film and that too with the director. She thanked her for having cast her in the film without even auditioning her.

Nandita Das and Deepa Mehta Watched Fire Again After 25 Years

Nandita Das and director Deepa Mehta attended the 36th Singapore International Film Festival, where their film Fire was screened. They were accompanied by Deepa’s brother, Indo-Canadian photojournalist and filmmaker Dilip Mehta.

Nandita shared glimpses from the event on Instagram, reminiscing about the time the film was made. She said the experience brought back vivid memories, from the dialogues to the music, as though it had all happened just yesterday.

She wrote, “Saw Fire at SGIFEST, that also on the big screen, after more than 25 years. I was surprised that I remembered every moment of it – my dialogues, even those of the others, the lighting, the music, pretty much all of it! And it was extra special to sit with Deepa and watch it. We were whispering to each other throughout the film with memories of the shoot. It all came flooding back. And all the lovely photos are by Dilip Mehta.”

She thanked the director, writing, “Fire began my journey, not only as an actor, but also as someone who wanted to engage with ‘othering’, with fear, prejudice and discrimination in all its forms. Thank you Deepa Mehta for casting me in the film, without even auditioning me!”

Her post also features some beautiful pictures of the actor and director. She added, “Last day Deepa and the team (me included) went to a restaurant in the Botanical Garden. Lush green with majestic trees and waterfalls. Basically 3 happy days!”

What Fire Is About?

The film is loosely inspired by Ismat Chughtai’s 1942 story Lihaaf (“The Quilt”). Fire is among the first mainstream Bollywood films to openly depict homosexual relationships, and notably, the first to portray a lesbian relationship.