Nandita Das watches Fire after 25 years at Singapore Film Festival, recalling dialogues, memories, and her journey with Deepa Mehta.

Renowned actress Nandita Das on Thursday revealed that she had viewed her critically acclaimed film ‘Fire’, which generated significant controversy at the time of its release due to its sensitive subject matter, after nearly 25 years. She also expressed gratitude to the film’s director, Deepa Mehta, for casting her in the role without requiring an audition.

Sharing images of her visit to Singapore for the Singapore Film Festival on her Instagram account, Nandita Das stated, “Watched Fire at @sgiffest, and it was displayed on the big screen, after more than 25 years.” I was astonished that I recalled every detail of it—my own dialogues, even those of others, the illumination, the music, and almost every aspect of the experience. It was particularly meaningful to sit with Deepa and observe it.

The actress revealed that she and her director nostalgically reminisced about their experiences during the filming while viewing the movie.

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She stated, “We were quietly conversing with each other throughout the film, recalling memories of the shoot.” All of it suddenly came rushing back. All the beautiful photographs are by @dilipmehtaconstantly.

The actress subsequently elaborated on the significance of the film to her and expressed her gratitude to director Deepa Mehta for including her in the project.

She stated, “Fire marked the beginning of my journey, not only as an actor but also as an individual committed to engaging with ‘othering,’ encompassing fear, prejudice, and discrimination in all their manifestations.” Thank you, @deepamehtaofficial, for selecting me for the film without requiring an audition. The final day Deepa and her staff, including myself, visited a restaurant located within the Botanical Garden. Vibrant greenery featuring majestic trees and cascading cascades. Essentially, three joyful days!

For those unfamiliar, ‘Fire’, released in 1996, was directed by Deepa Mehta and starred actresses Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das in the leading roles. The romantic drama, one of the initial mainstream films to depict a lesbian relationship, provoked significant controversy within the country at the time of its release.