‘Fire’ Rekindled Once Again

When Indian director Deepa Mehta's 'Fire' hit the screens late last year, members of the militantly Hindu Shiv Sena attacked cinemas in Bombay and Delhi, forcing the film to close. The reason behind the violence was the film itself, accused of promoting lesbianism and other concepts deemed offensive to Hindus. But in a somewhat unsurprising turn, the film has now been cleared by the country's censors - for a second time. The New Delhi government has upheld an earlier Censor Board clearance of the uncut film for adult audiences. The decision marks the end of baited breath of movie lovers and followers of liberal media policy alike. The film will return to India's movie capital, Bombay, this coming Friday.