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Nandita Das famous so far for art films like Fire, Earth, Bawander and Provoked will soon be known as a good new-age director too following her directorial debut 'Firaaq' having its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. She says that the title of her movie means both separation and quest. The film is an ensemble of five stories. It deals with emotions, relationships, reaction and helplessness at the time of communal carnage. The film is about basic human emotions like trust and betrayal, fear and prejudice and of innocence that wounds the soul forever.

She denies that there is any violence in her film as it focuses on human lives and their relationship with one another as a consequence of violence. Why did she combine five stories in one? She quips, "The characters span across class, gender, age and community. Although all the five subjects are based on different relationships, yet together they raise their voices against the main subject of the film, which is 'violence'. The movie portrays their relationship(s) with each other in a hostile society divided by communalism. What's special in your direction? And she proudly says that her interest is influenced by her artistic choices and social commitments.