Mehta is best known for her Elements Trilogy — "Fire" (1996), "Earth" (1998) (released in India as "1947: Earth"), and "Water" (2005) — which won her much critical acclaim. Some notable actors who have worked in this trilogy are Aamir Khan, Seema Biswas, Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, John Abraham, Rahul Khanna, Lisa Ray, and Nandita Das. These films are also notable for Mehta's collaborative work with author Bapsi Sidhwa. Sidhwa's novel "Cracking India" (1991, U.S.; 1992, India; originally published as "Ice Candy Man", 1988, England) is the basis for Mehta's 1998 film "Earth". Mehta's film "Water" was later published by Sidhwa as the 2006 novel "Water: A Novel". All three films have soundtracks composed by A. R. Rahman.