User reviews

This movie showed one thing that is totally true about many Indians in America (I don't know about England). Many Indians who immigrate to this country start acting and behaving like they are white. Sometimes they forget that they are not even white (I am guilty of that sometimes too, probably even more because I grew up here). Denzel Washington points that out to Roshan Seth very well in this movie. "You are no more than a few shades from my complexion." And then Jammu point out to Anil how he has started to act American (probably means white American), and Anil says, "So what? I'm living in America! You don't like it? Go back to India!"

Overall, it's a really good movie. I like it even more than "Monsoon Wedding," and I feel this movie was very underrated. My seventh grade teacher recommended this movie a long time ago (actually a few mos. after I saw it myself.) I myself have been recommending it to some of my non-Indian college friends who have seen Monsoon Wedding.

The theme of interracial romance is the setting for this fine drama and focus on the divisions between black Americans and South Asian communities. Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury are appealing as the central figures from different backgrounds and struggle to stay together amid the controversy that swirls around them. Washington and Choudhury have a nice chemistry that works very well in this picture and makes their romance even more believable. They have their share of ups and downs and face challenges to their relationship like any normal couple. The movie touches on the origins of the immigrant status of the South Asians which began when they were expelled from Uganda many years earlier. The resentment towards blacks is a recurring theme in the movie as they settle into their new communities in the deep south. The film has a bouncy music score that adds flavor to the story and a nice cast weaves everything together in fine style.

After having seen 'Monsoon wedding' and 'Fire' by Mira Nair, I would rate this movie just above average by her standards and lacks the 'wow' factor which makes Nair's movies interesting. The movie basically revolves around an Indian girl who falls in love with a black guy which is not only acceptable to her family but to entire Indian community living the locality.The story might hold you for the entire length of the movie but does not leave any impact at the end. Performances by Sarita Choudhary and Denzel Washington are very good. Even Rohan Seth has done a great job in acting. Rest of the actors were below par, but I was most disappointed by Sharmila Tagore from whom I had expected a far better performance. A mere one time watch movie!!

When Mississippi Masala opened it was a B movie or was treated as such. Denzil Washington was riding high with his Malcolm X role in the news. I wondered what made him decide on such a low key movie. I got hold of the cassette and saw it. Then I knew why. The plot is excellent and this must have been the reason why other notable actors (Charles Dutton comes to mind; and the actors who played Meena's Father (Rohan Seth, I think, who came in Gandhi), and the actor who played Denzil's father. The other actors were magnificent and were perfect for their parts. I particular enjoyed Sunil and friends and Denzil's brother.

What was most admirable in this movie is the writer/director's ability to merge three cultures (Uganda, India, & Southern USA) into an enchanting love story. Mira Nir has made her mark with this movie. Not surprising the critics loved it.

I New York the movie opened quietly then quickly became popular by word-of-mouth. Many women went to see Denzil but came away enjoying a unique and interesting love story with racism from another angle as it's strong undertone. Go see it if you haven't already.

I first saw this movie in 1993 and was struck by its authenticity, particularly the scenes set in Uganda. The dialog captures the way we Uganda Asians speak and the theme of racism is also one we are familiar with. One line in the movie captures this better than any other "My dear, she can be dark and rich or she can be fair and poor but she can't be dark and poor and expect to marry someone like Hari Kumar". The theme of embedded racism in Indian society hadn't been tackled as well this in English-language movies before. ("East is East" and "Bend It Like Beckam" and countless others have since touched on this.) So for a good, entertaining script and a funny and accurate portrayal of Ugandans in exile, I give this movie 7 out of 10. Some of the acting was not up to the standard of the script and the central love story was not engaging enough. If you've enjoyed "East is East", etc, you'll enjoy this one.

I love this movie. I first saw it as a preteen and did not understand the concept. I have recently got the DVD as a gift and watch it over and over again and learn something else from it each time. Sarita Choudhury is one of the best actresses of our time and I respect her decision to not want to go "Hollywood". She has appeared in movies with substance and a message unlike the movies that are coming out in mainstream Hollywood. Denzel Washington is a great actor in this movie as well. Playing Demitrius, you really see his versatility as an actor. Mississippi Masala touches a new kind of racism not shown in movies before. Dark skin vs. light skin seems to go across every ethnicity in the world and I respect Mira Nair for making this film. Although the movie or its actors didn't receive the attention or awards (i.e. an Oscar) for their extraordinary performance, this is a must see movie and it will change your mind about the caliber of movies you choose to see from now on.

This film begins in the early 1970s in Uganda. Idi Amin, the insane dictator, has just announced that all non-blacks must leave the country. So, a young Meena and her parents are forced to leave the only place they've ever lived. While they are Africans, their heritage is Indian.

The film picks up two decades later. The family now lives in Mississippi of all places--in a small Indian community. They work for an Indian-owned motel. Meena (Sarita Choudhury) meets a nice young black man, Demetrius (Denzel Washington). And, after dating a very short time, they sleep together...and are discovered by her relatives. The family is incensed--presumably because Demetrius is black. And, lots of chaos and repercussions occur.

My feeling is that the script missed the point a bit. While only idiots might be angry at the interracial angle, I guess I'm old fashioned and can see the family getting upset that Meena is spreading her legs after only two dates. In movies, this is a good thing--in real life, pregnancy and STDs might be the result. So, had Meena and Demetrius had a deeper connection before they were discovered, the film would have made a lot more sense--and the conflict would have been much more interesting. As it is, the relationship between Meena and Demetrius is unconvincing and makes little sense. And, speaking of that, the film ends very, very, very abruptly and left me feeling very flat. Overall, a film with some real possibilities but that just didn't come together well. A bit of a disappointment.

In the early 20th century, the English government moved several people from India to Uganda to build the railroad. Some of the Indians stayed and became lawyers, physicians, etc. When Idi Amin came to power in the early 1970s, he expelled all non-black Africans. Some of the Indians moved to Mississippi and began running motels.

"Mississippi Masala" focuses on this. Mina (Sarita Choudhury) is the daughter of an Indian family who fled Uganda for Mississippi. She develops a relationship with Demetrius (Denzel Washington), a local man. Her family does not approve of her dating a black man, and Demetrius' friends don't like him dating an Indian woman.

The movie shows many things, in particular how both the blacks and the Indians were displaced from their ancestral lands. Also, it shows how the blacks are racist towards the Indians and vice versa. As Demetrius reminds Mina's father: "Your skin is just a couple of shades from mine." Regardless of whether or not these sorts of things happen a lot, the movie does a very good job with it all.

Welcome to another edition of Adam's Movie Reviews!! **queue in intro music**

Tonight's movie is the romantic drama Mississippi Masala (1991) which starts off with a young family with Indian heritage are forced out of Uganda, Africa in the early 70's. This was due to the dictatorship of Idi Amin who literally kicked out all the Asians from Africa - mind you these Asians (mostly Indians) were relocated into Africa to slave away with building the train rail ways. So fast forward to the 90s's and the young little girl in that family that fled to Mississippi, USA is now a young Indian motel-worker Mina who literally crashes into an African-American carpet cleaner Demetrius played by my man Denzel Washington...the reason why I have outlined the background of these two characters who fall for each other is due to the fact that they are labelled in that way throughout the entire movie. The director is smart enough to build up a cultural dislocation straight away which has become a tradition of both the families which the main characters are a part of.

So, two lovers fall for each - interracial love...which again is played cleverly by the filmmakers where masala is literally a mixture of coloured spices which is a reflection on the characters in this movie - they are individuals who make up separate worlds in society which is represented through Mina and Demetrius. Their romance leads to many topics including racial prejudice and colour-blind between different group of society who do not like change and differences within their own ties of tradition. The characters' love is soon revealed which instantly spirals into losing the respect of their communities and families. The film's story was tackled in a smart manner. The way the director used music, language and culture whether channelled through family events or on a street corner stereotypes each background's similarity - they have no curiosity about groups outside their own social circles. Another similarity that is shown in the movie is both main groups were displaced from their ancestral lands yet even though these groups were victims of racial prejudice each group regardless of background tend to follow this path by looking down on each other based on the colour of skin. The director does very well to demonstrate this throughout the film in a realistic way without losing focus on the romance between the two main characters.

My only criticism is this film has too many things going on including whether the story is about leaving Uganda and returning to Uganda, the story of living in the south of America, a love story, a father's responsibility to his only daughter and the failings of groups from different backgrounds. Due to this it misses out what the movie is really about - different spices that need to blend together. Another flaw is the way the beginning was shot and the flashbacks...it would have been good if this was clear at the beginning. It is still however funny and enthralling to watch and it captivate what is to happen to the doomed romance between Mina and Demetrius. Great performances by all and a great chemistry match between Denzel and his counterpart Sarita Choudhury who plays Mina. This film is a hidden gem that is definitely overlooked and is worth to be watched. Overall 7.2/10.

After Salaam Bombay expectations run high with the next outing being "Mississippi Masala" for Mira Nair. And in all honesty "Mississippi Masala" has a soul in itself. There are many layers in the movie which are subtly dealt with and handled succinctly. For starters the plot predominantly centred around Indian family one would expect the usual "laugh-at-me" tracks and should admit it doesn't succumb to it. It's neither taking mickey out of the Black community. Both the sides of the coin are impartially moderated. The director deserves kudos for efficiently managing to do the tight-rope walking.

Sarita Chowdhary:: Essentially the movie is woman-centric and hence she gets the meaty-pie. Has various shades to her role and Sarita seem to be at ease in the garb of Meena. As rightly justified in the movie, she could be easily mistaken for a Mexican. And Mira Nair does portray her "Mistress of Spices" quite well.

Denzel Washington:: His performance surely makes you feel that he delivers goods that is class-apart. The writing should take the blame for any shortcoming on developing his character otherwise he is nothing short of cent percent.

Roshan Seth:: For some reason, I was constantly getting the feeling that I am watching a character who is masked under Naseeruddin Shah. Perhaps the role was written for Naseer in the first place. And yes, Roshan Seth gets the diction spot on.

Sharmila:: Doesn't get much but she is good in her own right.

The other Bollywood crew lend adequate support (Mohan Gokhale, Mohan Agashe & Anjan Srivastava).

Music by L. Subramaniam neatly blends with the narration.

The only part which deserved better writing was the way the lead characters meet and start to like each other which I would safely say is a minor aberration which can be ignored.

Nonetheless, its a good watch.

In 1972, Idi Amin takes power in Uganda and expels all Asians. Jay (Roshan Seth) is heartbroken to leave his homeland. He takes his wife Kinnu and daughter Meena ultimately to Greenwood, Mississippi. Flash forward to 1990, Meena (Sarita Choudhury) is a rebellious teen and crashes her car into Demetrius Williams (Denzel Washington). Jay is still trying to return to his home in Uganda. The family lives at the motel owned by the extended family. Demetrius is a responsible working guy unlike his brothers. Demetrius and Meena start a relationship raising objections from her family.

Washington is terrific as always. Choudhury is not as great and the imbalance makes the romance a little wonky. It's probably my one and only complaint. The race relationships from a different point of view is compelling. Jay is a really interesting character with a fascinating story. This romance is definitely something out of the ordinary unlike most Hollywood movies.

Some may think that all it is about is the race relations between Asian Indians and Blacks in Southern USA. I saw it as collection of stories, each running along its own thread while impacting others at the same time. There is a love story between a Black guy and an Asian Indian (by way of Africa) girl, there is a man trying to regain his lost homeland (which some may consider artificial), there are others who are trying to fit into the new-new-South, a younger brother who is a bother and a motel owner who doesn't understand the people around him. All in all, a well knit story.

"Mina and Demetrius's interracial relationship is presented as an organic affair that does not eschew from erotic feelings apropos of their budding desire - Washington is in one of his most demonstratively sensual moments during the arousing phone-talk scenes, or its debit side, like Demetrius's initial interest in Mina is to piss off his old flame and he is reasonably tentative to take the romance seriously, it is all credited to Mina's go-getter spirit that the pair might have a future together. Also cultural assimilation is portrayed here as something knottier than sustaining one's roots and background, one must venture out of their own community to find a deep, universal connection among their countryfolk."

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After making a splash with her debut feature 'Salaam Bombay', director Mira Nair tried to attract a wider audience with this strictly conventional (if pleasantly untraditional) cross-cultural romance. Denzel Washington plays a small town Mississippi janitor who charms (and is charmed by) the liberated daughter of an Indian political activist exiled from Idi Amin's Uganda. The conflicts between father and daughter are in fact more involving than the star-crossed love affair, and while it hardly follows any standard romantic formula there's still a discouraging sense of compromise to the film, in which likable but underwritten characters trade weak dialogue sounding all too often like the result of a bad translation. The cast is certainly attractive (if a little lopsided: Denzel Washington completely outclasses his co-stars), and the production is marked by a welcome lack of Hollywood gloss, most likely due to an unwelcome lack of a Hollywood budget. But in the end the film provides only a modest spark in an otherwise dim movie-going season.

that explores, opens up, reveals the unconscious, socially conditioned ways we limit ourselves. Because the film deals primarily with the Black and African-Indian communities, I found myself wishing that I could have seen it in a Black/Indian audience to see what the film stirred up!

This is a good film for those of you who like explosions, cool mafia hit men, and high tech because it is about real human difficulty and real courage -- not the Die Hard and Terminator fantasy versions of those virtues.

It also happens to be a very sweet, often tellingly funny love story about two believable people you will end up really liking.

Continuing my plan to watch every movie in Denzel Washington's filmography I come to 1991's Mississippi Masala

The light hearted tone of the trailer does not convey the seriousness of the movie, at all. It's very serious.

I wouldn't say this is a good movie per se, but it is an interesting one and Denzel is always a good watch and he has decent chemistry with Sarita Choudhury, in her first movie. It's a movie that deserves to be seen.

Mississippi Masala was another bust at the box office, when it was finally released in 1992. It only made $7 million dollars and was the years 104th highest grossing movie of the year.

I watched the full movie on Youtube, I recommend checking it out.

This was a layered, intricate movie dealing with race, culture, and love--three very nebulous and delicate issues.

In 1972 Idi Amin expelled all Asians from Uganda. Those Asians were primarily Indian. This sent Jay (Seth Roshan) and his family packing and on a journey that eventually landed them in Greenwood, Mississippi. It was there that his daughter, Mina (Sarita Choudhury) met and fell in love with Demetrius (Denzel Washington).

Even though this love was not between black and white it was still between people of different races and even more different cultures. The disapproval of their relationship was just as severe as if they had been a black man and a white woman in Mississippi.

Their relationship was under intense strain. Mississippi Masala stressed that Indians are fiercely protective of their culture and very homogenous. Demetrius just saw another group of people hating him for his skin color. The matter was so delicate because their relationship resulted in tangible consequences. So the question becomes: is it worth it?

I'm sure many people from many disparate cultures in many lands have had to ask and answer the same question: is it worth it? It is a very difficult question to answer and it sucks that it has to even be asked, but it does. Love is strong but how much suffering is a person willing to endure for the sake of love? And I don't mean taking a bullet, or braving some insults, or putting up with some annoying quirks. I'm talking ostracism and isolation from those you've known and loved your whole life. I'm talking poverty and itinerancy due to your forbidden partner. Maybe some can bear it but certainly there are others who cannot. In their own creative way writer, Sooni Taraporevala, and director, Mira Nair, make you think about it.

Would you run away for love? From your past, your friends, your family... where is your home? The land you were born in, or the land you discover when forging a new bond?

When the film ventures to scenes centered around these topics, I was really enjoying it. However, when "Mississippi Masala" focuses on the plot of Denzel falling for an Indian/Ugandan woman in Mississippi and the dramatic heft of the film relies on people not accepting them together, I was a little bored. I think it's wonderful to look at, yet there were times where the sets seemed a little baron due to budget constraints. I have to give the director Mira Nair credit for nailing the exterior and dancing scenes with vast wide shots and wonderfully intimate close ups during dramatic peaks.

If you like romantic movies, this one could be for you, mainly due to the fact that the two leads do have good chemistry. Denzel is hard not to feel slightly charmed by in any project he's in and Sarita Choudary handles the romantic scenes with finesse. I would have liked to have seen more from her emotionally during her fight with her parents and other moments, but that could just be a credit to how good her parents were in this. Overall, a tame romance movie more focused on the racial divisions than the intimacy of an everlasting love.