Fire shows the blossoming of the protagonists' love for each other through mundane tasks displayed in an erotic manner. Dasgupta explains: “By explicitly crossing the gap between female bonding and sexuality, a new way of looking at things opened up.” By not mentioning the word "lesbian" Fire tries to touch on queer territory but fails when the film's concern shifts from women's lives to their explicit sexual lives and need for a label. One significant way in which Western media has differentiated itself from Indian films is through its portrayal of trans* and intersex people. Hijras are a recognized community of trans* and intersex people in India. Although this community has been stigmatized and ostracized, mainly due to the British Christian colonizers, historically and religiously hijras have sacred value. The representation of the hijra community is still classified according to the three qualifications that exist in Western media for the LGBT community. Most TV shows and movies portray hijras as brash and