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Shabana Azmi remembered how Nandita put her finger on her lips but it didn't seem romantic.
Fire was a story about a same-sex couple.
Shabana Azmi starred in Deepa Mehta's 1996 Indo-Canadian love story Fire. It was one of the first films in Bollywood to openly showcase same-sex relationships. Shabana Azmi was cast opposite Nandita Das and since the two women didn't know each other before filming, it became a bit awkward to shoot intimate scenes.
In a recent chat with Radio Nasha, Shabana Azmi said, “It was very difficult… I didn't know Nandita then. On the first day of shooting, Deepa asked us to rehearse the love scene. Both Nandita and I were not used to doing such scenes, so during rehearsals Nandita kept her finger on my lips and it didn't come out as romantic.”
Shabana recalled, “Deepa shouted, 'I didn't ask you to brush her teeth'. It was very awkward for both of us to shoot such scenes.” She added, “But Deepa made sure that wasn't the case There were more people there than the two of us, her and the cameraman. She created a safe environment, and the film was not exploitative.”
The film was released in India in 1998 after strict scrutiny and was the subject of several protests from political parties and groups who called the film “immoral”. The film also sparked a discussion about lesbian and gay rights in India. Although Fire is one of Shabana Azmi's films, the actress was initially hesitant about the project.
She recalls, “When I heard the script, I was really excited because I realized that Indians don't talk about it openly. They always push it under the rug. More than “Can I do it?”, it was the thought “Should I do it?” that bothered me. So I just thought, 'What will happen when this film hits theaters?'” “Then I realized that I can't generalize every Indian. They’re not all the same “I’m upset about this. But at least the film will start the process of questioning,” she added.
Shabana also sought advice from her husband Javed Akhtar. She said, “When I spoke to Javed Sahab, he asked me, 'Do you like the script?', I said, 'Yes'.” He said, “Then do it.” He told me, “You have to think about it in the Let's be clear that this film will not come without controversy, but if you think you can defend the film once it comes out, then do it.” Shabana mentioned how her stepdaughter Zoya Also Akhtar, who was a teenager at the time was, encouraged her to accept the role without inhibitions.
