Fire highlights a painful reality that many women in India must face. As Swamiji teaches in the movie, love is a desire that must be suppressed and that the only purpose of sexual desire is to procreate. Women are treated as objects, whose purpose is to have children and tend to the house. It is why Sita slaves away in the kitchen all day and why Radha feels guilty for not being able to bear kids. This idea is still prevalent in India to a great degree. Having spoken with my parents, both of whom grew up in India, many of their friends and relatives were often urged to get married and have kids as soon as possible and were not encouraged to pursue a career or a relationship out of love. The fact that my mom married when she was 28 irked a lot of her relatives in India, who believed she was too old to get married and should have started having kids earlier.

The film also had an uplifting message of empowerment. Radha and Sita, who were reduced by their husbands to objects, explored their sexualities and explored love. I thought this message of experiencing love however you see fit and not conforming to traditional or societal expectations was very inspiring.