I saw this movie a year ago & I was very impressed with it. Deepa Mehta took a very sensitive subject matter & turned it into masterpiece of Indian movie making. Indeed it is a story that will shock most for it deals with making choices that make one a happier person rather than living a lie. Nandita is trapped in a loveless marriage by an immature, idiotic man. Shabana is also in the same boat as a ’bhabi’ whose husband has no desire for. Do these women sacrifice their own happiness to please others? If it were a typical Indian movie, yes they would. But in the context of an evolving, modern Indian society, these two women turn to each other for comfort & love. What unravels because of their affair is a deeper monster. We learn that Shabana’s saintly husband oppresses her by not acknowledging her as a woman with needs. Sexual though they might be, it’s still no myth that women have needs, too. We also learn that Nandita suffers the worst fate by marrying a man who has an ongoing affair with another woman. Anyway, far be it for me to give the ending away, I’d suggest that you all go see it. I love this movie & all of Deepa’s movies. Finally, a movie has come that deals with a taboo issue like this one.