30 Years of Deepa Mehta’s Bold Cinema: Protests, Lucas, and Rushdie’s $1 Deal

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Over the course of her groundbreaking career, acclaimed director Deepa Mehta, who earned an Academy Award nomination, has navigated confrontations with hostile crowds in Varanasi and conversations with George Lucas – all while boldly addressing cultural norms that others might shy away from. At 74 years old, she shows no signs of slowing down her daring pursuits.

In a comprehensive chat before her career overview “Through the Fire: The Films of Deepa Mehta” at Toronto’s TIFF Cinematheque, the filmmaker had an engaging talk with EbMaster, covering her transformation from an initial movie enthusiast to a widely acclaimed director whose films have repeatedly questioned and challenged societal and political standards over the past three decades.

Mehta playfully suggests that she might be better off retired when discussing the retrospective. However, she swiftly clarifies, ‘No, not at all,’ dismissing any ideas of retirement with her usual strong-willed resolve.

The filmmaker of Indian-Canadian descent often explores divisions in her work, be it among nations, communities, or individuals, finds inspiration for her films in her early years spent at her father’s cinema in the Punjab.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the movies because my father owned a theater in Amritsar and distributed films,” Mehta reminisces. “Once school finished, I’d often tag along with him, watching movies while he made phone calls or worked until he had free time.

During those crucial years, Mehta first felt cinema’s profound emotional impact when she wept over the movie “Nagin” (1954). She recalls being around 6 or 7 years old, watching the film and wondering why she was crying even though she knew it wasn’t real. “I remember asking my father, ‘These aren’t real people on the screen, but why am I crying?'” she reminisces. “I had been in a projection room and touched the screen, realizing it was just a piece of fabric, but I didn’t understand that the characters weren’t actual people.

Even though she was deeply involved, young Mehta initially shied away from filmmaking as a career choice due to her father’s apprehensions about box office performance. “For us, Fridays were particularly difficult at home because that’s when new films would come out… my father’s mood was heavily influenced by the day’s box office results.

Rather than delving into philosophy, she found herself pulled back towards cinema when a friend requested her assistance in answering calls at a documentary film company based in Delhi. Labeled as having “the worst phone etiquette globally,” she was guided towards editing. Over time, she mastered sound, cinematography, and directing as she transitioned to Canada.

(Note: I’ve attempted to maintain the same flow of thought while using simpler language.)

Mehta’s first film, “Sam & Me” (1991), which earned a special recognition at Cannes, signified the start of a career characterized by continuous creativity. This movie tells the story of an Indian immigrant who unexpectedly forms a connection with an elderly Jewish man in Toronto, and it was inspired by Mehta’s personal feelings of cultural dislocation.

She shares that she yearned for an action that mirrored her life’s stage or echoed another’s experience somehow. Collaborating with writer-actor Ranjit Chaudhary, she shaped a storyline about connection and selfhood, which would later be recurrent themes in her creative endeavors.

Prior to penning her acclaimed “Elements Trilogy,” Mehta previously marked a significant phase in her career by directing episodes for George Lucas’s series, “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.” This period, as she puts it, served as the pinnacle of her personal development.

Mehta chuckles as he reminisces, ‘I received a call in my hotel room, and someone asked, ‘Can I speak to Deepa?’ To which I replied, ‘Yes, speaking.’ The person then introduced himself as George Lucas. Surprised, I responded, ‘Understood.’ Then, I hung up the phone. Suddenly, he called back again and said, ‘Don’t hang up! It truly is me.”

Later on, Lucas personally revised one of the episodes, and Mehta boasts that she was “the sole female director in the ‘Young Indiana Jones’ television series.

Mehta’s “Elements Trilogy” – consisting of “Fire” (1996), “Earth” (1998) and “Water” (2005) – solidified her global standing yet introduced unexpected obstacles. The film “Fire,” which portrayed a lesbian relationship between two Hindu women, played by Shabana Azmi and newcomer Nandita Das, ignited controversy in India upon its release, leading to violent protests.

Mehta noted that when the protests erupted, it was surprising because they were sanctioned by the very government she referred to. However, even amidst the opposition, Mehta observed a strong sense of unity at a protest near Delhi’s Regal Cinema. There, women displayed banners proclaiming, ‘I am a lesbian and I am Indian,’ defying the government’s assertions that there are no lesbians in India.

Mehta reworked Bapsi Sidhwa’s novel “Ice Candy Man,” known as “Cracking India” in North America, for the screen. The movie unfolds amidst the tumultuous 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, depicting a young Hindu woman torn between two Muslim admirers as religious strife escalates into destructive communal clashes. The book’s compelling theme, as Sidhwa stated on its cover, resonated with Mehta: “All wars are fought on women’s bodies.”

Mehta transformed Bapsi Sidhwa’s novel “Ice Candy Man,” known as “Cracking India” in North America for the big screen. The film is set during the chaotic 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, portraying a young Hindu woman struggling between two Muslim suitors as religious disputes escalate into devastating sectarian conflicts. Mehta was drawn to the book because of Sidhwa’s quote on its cover: “Wars are fought on women’s bodies.

The movie showcased renowned Bollywood actor Aamir Khan in a crucial part as the ice pop vendor. Mehta praised his choice, stating, “I found him outstanding. Even though he’s a major star, he didn’t bat an eye. He readily agreed, saying, ‘Of course, I should audition. After all, when you go to set, it’s important to be sure that you’ve chosen the perfect person.’

Despite Khan’s fame, the movie “Earth” encountered its own distribution hurdles in India. As Mehta discloses, “The film wasn’t actually released in India because at that time they claimed it was anti-Hindu.” He also noted that the film resonated strongly with the ongoing situation in Gaza, which pained him deeply as the movie never reached its intended audience, even though it surprisingly represented India at the Oscars.

In Varanasi, the making of “Water” faced stronger resistance, causing Mehta to halt the initial filming after demonstrators argued that the movie insulted Hinduism – an accusation that came despite the script receiving government endorsement. The story unfolds during India’s colonial era and follows the life of an 8-year-old widow who is placed in a widows’ ashram, her arrival impacting the lives of the other inhabitants as events unfold, all against the backdrop of Gandhi’s emerging influence.

In Varanasi, we were filming… Nandita and Shabana were both present. Remarkably, they had all shaved their heads, as Mehta recollects. On the fourth day, an incident occurred… once more, people disputed that there are no child widows in India. They questioned why this wasn’t mentioned when reading the script.

The movie was eventually filmed in Sri Lanka after a five-year gap, during which Mehta worked through her feelings about the experience. She explained, “I couldn’t make this film immediately because I was so enraged. I didn’t want my anger to dictate the making of the film, as I felt it wouldn’t be fair to the movie itself.” The film, titled “Water,” represented Canada in the Oscars’ international category and was subsequently nominated.

In 2012, Mehta decided to adapt Salman Rushdie’s Booker Prize-winning novel “Midnight’s Children” after a casual dinner conversation. She suggested, “Salman, we need to collaborate on something,” to which he replied, “What do you have in mind?” Without hesitation, Mehta blurted out, “Midnight’s Children.” Rushdie granted her the rights for just $1 and wrote the screenplay himself. The movie tells the story of two infants born at India’s independence moment, whose destinies become mysteriously entangled as they traverse the tumultuous post-colonial era together.

Currently serving as an executive producer for burgeoning filmmakers on ventures such as “To Kill a Tiger” and “Wakhri,” Mehta is simultaneously nurturing her own projects, with upcoming films like “Sher,” “Forgiveness,” and “Troilokya” in the pipeline.

She clarifies that it’s not only about the painful separation of countries like India and Pakistan, orchestrated by colonizers. It’s also about the internal divisions, the struggles we face in determining our own identities.

Her father’s insights remain influential in shaping her artistic decisions. She often repeats his philosophy: “There are two unknowns in life – when we’ll pass away and what reception a movie will receive at the box office.” This principle, she explains, has driven her to make every film because she was passionate about them, not for the hope of good reviews or being politically correct.

Regarding the recurring themes in her work, Mehta references lyrics from Javed Akhtar’s song “Ishwar Allah” in “Earth” – “O Divine Being, why does your world harbor hatred? Why do wars prevail? You possess a vast and compassionate heart, so why is the human heart so constricted?

The retrospective “Through the Fire: The Movies of Deepa Mehta” is scheduled to run from April 4th to the 23rd at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Over these 10 days, you’ll have a chance to watch 10 of her feature films and participate in several question-and-answer sessions with the director herself.

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2025-04-02 17:47