Fire Aks How Do You Define Love That Has No Name

ByMercedes Diane Griffin Forbes
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I watched this movie at a time in my life when I was reflecting heavily on my own sexual trauma, my sexual identity, and my religious beliefs. This movie spoke to me on so many levels.

I identified heavily with the main characters’ feelings of being trapped and longing for freedom of self. I also identified heavily with their feelings of confusion and the overwhelming flood of emotion that comes from undergoing a transformative journey.

If you’re looking for the typical Bollywood movie with loads of singing and dancing, you will not find that here. What you will find is an exploration of human emotion often shown through unspoken cinematic elements.

Music, lighting , even the color scheme are used to make you feel what the Sita and Radha feel. This movie is a powerful piece and it can be a hard watch. I think it’s fair to warn that at times it may be triggering for some.

Regardless of one’s personal views on sexuality, this is a thought-provoking film that will undoubtedly illicit viewers to evaluate societal dictates of gender and sexuality.

It’s message is universal. It questions ideals like love, loyalty, and family that impact us all. Sadly, this powerful film was unfortunately banned in India for it’s showing of same sex intimacy.

Synopsis:

Sita (Nandita Das) and Radha (Shabana Azmi) are two Indian women stuck in loveless marriages. While Sita is trapped in an arranged relationship with her cruel and unfaithful husband, Jatin (Jaaved Jaafei), Radha is married to his brother, Ashok (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), a religious zealot who believes in suppressing desire. As the two women recognize their similar situations, they grow closer, and their relationship becomes far more involved than either of them could have anticipated.

International Development Consultant

Mercedes Diane Griffin Forbes (Diane Griffin) is the primary contributor to DG Speaks​ and the Founder of the Mercedes Parra Foundation​ for Women and Girls. She is an internationally recognized expert in marketing and micro-enterprise development with over fifteen years of experience in the US, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Working in the areas of international development, education, and public policy, her career is focused on promoting gender equity, sustainable economic growth, and positive social development.

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