Deepa Mehta is an acclaimed Indo-Canadian script writer and film director. She challenges conservative social mores and attempts to rewrite history, representing 'her' story instead of 'his'. Mehta has been a controversial figure ever since 1998 when her film Fire was banned in India for its explicit portrayal of lesbianism. Her next film Earth spoke of the Partition of India and how it affected the lives of women. With her third film Water, Mehta again ran into trouble with fundamentalists when she tried to focus on the shabby treatment meted out to widows by traditional Hindu society.This book makes a critical study of Deepa Mehta's 'Elemental Trilogy'— Fire, Earth and Water. Focusing on the film texts, it examines the silent spaces in-between the signifiers and tunes into the unheard voices that patriarchy has been deaf to. It also studies the impact of Mehta's work, critically analyzing the hostile reception accorded to her work, and the by-and-large-favourable response of the female section of the society.
Manju Jaidka is a Professor at the Department of English and Cultural Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh. A recipient of several international fellowships including a Fulbright Research Grant and two Rockefeller Fellowships, Professor Jaidka has several publications to her credit, including eight books of criticism, a play and a novel. She has travelled extensively, lectured at prestigious international institutions and is currently the Chairperson of the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi.
Preface – Acknowledgements – Introduction – Desire in Another Language: The Politics of Fire – Engendering History: 1947 Earth – Abandoned by the Riverside: Water – Beyond National Boundaries – Deepa Mehta: On a Personal Note – Bibliography – Index
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