September 1988: Writer/director Harvey Crossland forms Siren Films with producer Amarjeet Rattan in Vancouver. One of the ideas the two mull over is (eventually titled) The Burning Season.

While working with New Delhi filmmaker Jiten Varma on the cbc Family Pictures series, Crossland's interest was piqued by the cultural challenges facing Canada's East Indian community in their adopted home.

Crossland begins developing a script with Varma, intending it to be a cbc mow. cbc's Jim Burt sees it as a feature. Varma returns to India.

September 1989: Crossland goes to India to submerge himself in the culture. By this time, the Indian portion of the story centres on a Rajput family - the traditional, imperial, warrior class. Travelling from Raj fort to Raj fort, Crossland finds his location...or so he thinks.

In Toronto, Annette Cohen and Pat Ferns form Primedia Pictures to produce features.

Spring 1990: Crossland and Rattan's first choice as co-producer is Ferns, and they send the script to Primedia Productions. Ferns likes it; a second draft is delivered to Cohen.

1991: Cohen comes on as story editor to help shape this "woman's story". She collaborates on the third draft. The search for financing begins. With a spring '92 shoot date in mind, India is to be the first location in order to get the longest days and be out before the worst heat.

May 1991: Cinephile makes an initial distribution offer.

July 3, 1991: A cbc broadcast deal is negotiated.

Aug. 15, 1991: The Cinephile deal collapses.

Sept. 26, 1991: A distribution deal with Brightstar is secured.

January 1992: The script is rewritten, shaped towards the shooting script.

Crossland begins casting. In India, Om Puri (City of Joy) is cast as the father-in-law, while in London, Eng., Ayub Khan Din, star of Sammi and Rosie Get Laid, is chosen as the Rajput prince with whom Sanda (the protagonist) falls in love at a North American university, then follows to India.

Crossland and Cohen also cast in Toronto and Vancouver, where they discover their female lead, Akesh Gill, an unknown.

February 1992: Armed with tapes and photos of the cast, an agenda that includes filming in a remote location in India and bringing the caboodle back to shoot in Canada, and a $1.75 million budget, Crossland goes to Telefilm Canada's Vancouver director John Taylor, who takes a $735,000 leap of faith.

Location problems. The three families who own the chosen fort have a falling-out; another fort will have to be found. Crossland faces a difficult decision: postpone or move forward.

March 1992: It is agreed to plan a fall shoot. Because of scheduling, a new team must be put together. Serendipitously, dop Vic Sarin (who was born in Kashmir) is available, as is production designer Tamara Deverall (Masala), who Crossland originally wanted.

March 5, 1992: The Telefilm letter of commitment arrives and within days, B.C. Film's commitment letter comes in.