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The 'Elements Trilogy' by acclaimed Indian-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta is based on three universal elements - Fire, Water and Earth.
'Fire' deals with the issue of lesbianism in a conservative society in India; 'Earth' focuses on human suffering in wake of communal carnage that followed the partitioning of India in 1947; and 'Water', explores the status of Hindu widows during the time of India's independence struggle.
Two of the three films - 'Fire' and 'Water' - turned out to be extremely controversial and invited severe criticism from fundamentalist elements in India and Pakistan. 'Fire' was temporarily banned in India and permanently banned in Pakistan for its lesbian content. Filming of 'Water' had to be called off as the set was burned down by Hindu fundamentalists in India; shooting resumed after a gap of four years, this time with a new cast and a new location in Sri Lanka. 'Water' went on to receive an Oscar nomination in the 'Best Foreign Film' category from Canada.
Though controversial, the trilogy has sensitively explored women's issues and has appealed to cinema audience worldwide.
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