There has been a dispute over whether or not this movie was banned in India. The following statements were in the Washington Post:

I have been the butt of Hindu and Muslim threats and intimidation," said Azmi, recalling the furor her film "Fire" sparked in 1996 with a story about two sisters-in-law who fall in love and seek erotic solace to escape their unhappiness. Mobs attacked the theater, tearing out the furniture, and the actress was accused of being "wicked" and "criminal" by extremist Hindu parties such as Shiv Sena. The film was withdrawn, which created a backlash. Spontaneous street demonstrations brought the return of "Fire" after three months "without a single cut," the actress noted.

So everybody is right. :-) I don't know if I have ever written a review before but I found this movie to be sad and one that stayed with me... Most movies I tend to forget fairly quickly, and I don't even watch a whole lot of movies, but I found scenes in this movie to be truly disturbing. At first I thought the movie was okay but as time goes on I have grown to appreciate it more and more. I like movies that are memorable and that provide memories which linger. This movie is definitely unusual, unique. A little dramatic, especially at the end, but I guess that's okay.