And things get even more emotionally complicated for them in the series than in the books, as an intimate reunion scene portrayed as consensual in the books was filmed as rape on the show.
But with the one-two punch of dramatic potential and mythical forebears, sibling incest is more common.
The controversy ended with the leading actors, Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das along with their director Deepa Mehta receiving death threats and Censor Board finally banning the movie in the country.