Mississippi Masala
Mississippi Masala • 1h 57m
Directed by Mira Nair • 1991 • United States, Uganda
Starring Denzel Washington, Sarita Choudhury, Roshan Seth
The vibrant cultures of India, Uganda, and the American South come together in Mira Nair’s MISSISSIPPI MASALA, a luminous look at the complexities of love in the modern melting pot. Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their home in Uganda by the dictatorship of Idi Amin, twentysomething Mina (Sarita Choudhury) spends her days cleaning rooms in an Indian-run motel in Mississippi. When she falls for the charming Black carpet cleaner Demetrius (Denzel Washington), their passionate romance challenges the prejudices of both of their families and exposes the rifts between the region’s Indian and African American communities. Tackling thorny issues of racism, colorism, culture clash, and displacement with bighearted humor and keen insight, Nair serves up a sweet, sexy, and deeply satisfying celebration of love’s power.
Up Next in Mississippi Masala
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MISSISSIPPI MASALA Commentary
This commentary track, recorded in 2021, features director Mira Nair.
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Sarita Choudhury and Devika Girish on...
In this interview, recorded in New York in 2022, actor Sarita Choudhury talks to critic Devika Girish about her film debut as Mina in MISSISSIPPI MASALA.
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Sooni Taraporevala on MISSISSIPPI MASALA
In this interview, screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala talks about collaborating with director Mira Nair. It was recorded in 2022 in Mumbai.