At last, a filmmaker who dares to tell it like it is -- without melodrama or even the faintest hint of an apology for such a brutally honest effort. Which is exactly why you might love Deepa Mehta's Fire, or hate it. But you are not afforded the comfort of staying untouched by something so powerful, real and unnerving.

Set against the crumbling edifice of the `great Indian joint family', Fire examines and questions the relevance of norms, beliefs, values, rituals and gender roles that have been preserved merely in the name of propriety.

There's little room for any conscious choice outside this rigid framework -- especially for women, who have been conditioned to the diktats of a patriarchal system where the male is supreme. No arguments about that. Nita (Nandita Das), a remarkably open and impulsive young woman walks into a marriage with Jatin (Jaaved Jaaferi), who has no plans of severing relations with his Chinese mistress. His older brother Ashok (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), who runs atake-home food joint, and sister-in-law Radha (Shabana Azmi) are struggling to cope with a barren 15-year-old marriage. While Ashok turns to celibacy and spiritual gurus out of sheer frustration, Radha simply accepts her lot, looks after her bed-ridden mother-in-law Biji (Kushal Rekhi) and runs the kitchen.

Nita and Radha, trapped in their claustrophobic world, find solace in each other and are gradually drawn into a unique bond that helps both realise their unfulfilled dreams and desires. In the end, they break all shackles and consciously choose a path that gives their lives a new meaning -- but not before Radha undergoes a trial by fire. For an `avowedly feminist' film, the men don't come across as villains. In fact, they are creatures of their circumstances, also trying to cope with life's complexities. And in a bold move, she brings out the element of the perverse that is so intrinsic to human beings, but is rarely discussed or even acknowledged. Take for instance Mundu (Ranjit Chowdhry), the domestichelp, subjecting a helpless Biji to pornographic films, or Jatin renting out the same tapes to eager school boys. Exquisitely shot by Giles Nuttgens in hues of gold, orange and rust, Delhi's crowded by-lanes come alive as the cacophony of street sounds heightens the impact. And A R Rahman's music flows easily with the pace, mood and feel of the film.

Of the cast, everyone fits the bill just perfectly -- though it must be said that Chowdhry's Hindi sounds too polished for the class he's meant to be come from. Shabana and Nandita are brilliant and complement each other very well handling their delicate relationship with the maturity it needs. Fire is a thought-provoking experience that shouldn't be missed. But, if it is appreciated for reasons other than its thematic or creative value, then its very purpose might just be defeated.

Director: Deepa Mehta

Showing at: Cinemax, New Empire

Pardesi Babu

First time director Manoj Agarwal seems to have done a lot of homework on formula films. BecausePardesi Babu is your regular love triangle, featuring boy-with-heart-of-gold, Raju (Govinda), giggly rich brat Cheeni (Shilpa Shetty) who is in the habit of running away from home, and weepy doormat Karuna (Raveena Tandon), who keeps tripping over everything that comes in her way. Cheeni's father refuses to let her marry Raju unless he earns Rs one crore within a year. After a visit to the temple, Raju gets lucky and finds a briefcase full of money. So he goes to Darjeeling, meets Karuna, and finds out that her father has gone mad ever since he lost his briefcase full of money! Now, Raju has to marry Karuna in the interests of her father's sanity. But before he can do that, Cheeni lands up. To Agarwal's credit, there are no cholis, ghagharas and pelvic thrusts. Anand Raaj Anand score has a couple of good songs, especially `Pada jeena tere bin'. Shilpa Shetty is quite impressive. Raveena Tandon finally breaks the monotonous look she's sported in all her releases this year, and does a decent job of her sketchyrole. Govinda is good. But isn't he fed-up of his UP bhaiyya act yet?

Director: Manoj Agarwal

Showing at: Minerva