"Hindu Nationalists Storm Film Shooting"

These were among the recent headlines in Indian newspapers involving filmmaker Deepa Mehta, who found herself at the center of a media storm while trying to shoot her film 'Water' in the holy city of Banaras. The award-winning yet controversial director also faced the scrutiny of the censor board.

Based in Toronto, Mehta immigrated to Canada in 1973 and made her first film, 'Sam and Me' in 1990. She went on to direct Hollywood stars Jessica Tandy and Bridget Fonda in 'Camilla.' After her stint in Hollywood, Mehta set about making the first movie in her trilogy of 'Fire,' 'Earth' and 'Water.' 'Fire' (1996), about the transgressive relationship between two sisters-in-law in a middle-class Delhi household, received much critical acclaim though it ran into problems with the censor board in India. 'Earth' was equally successful and critically acclaimed but again had a rough journey throughout its debut. 'Water,' the last of the trilogy, is her most recent effort and the biggest controversy ever due to its depiction of the plight of widows in the holy city of Banaras.