Mississippi Masala (1991)
Mira Nair’s romantic drama film, Mississippi Masala (1991), follows the story of Jay, Kinnu, and their daughter Mina, a family of Ugandan Indians. After dictator Idi Amin expels Asians from Uganda in 1972, the family tearfully leaves their home behind and settles in Greenwood, Mississippi with relatives who own motels there. Despite spending years in England before arriving in America, Jay struggles to adapt to his new life and longs to return to Kampala. His distrust towards black people stems from the effects of Amin’s rule. Meanwhile, Mina has fully embraced American culture and has a diverse group of friends. However, she feels stifled by her parents’ insistence on only associating with those from their own community.
Mina falls for Demetrius, a local African American carpet cleaner who is self-employed. Aware of her parents’ disapproval, she keeps their relationship low-key. The couple embarks on a romantic weekend getaway to Biloxi, but their privacy is invaded when members of the Indian community spot them together and begin spreading gossip. Jay, feeling ashamed and outraged, forbids Mina from ever seeing Demetrius again. Additionally, Mina faces discrimination from members of Demetrius’ own community. In a confrontation with Jay, Demetrius reveals his own experiences with racism in Uganda and calls out Jay for his hypocrisy. Ultimately, both families are unable to fully accept the interracial couple, leading them to flee the state together in Demetrius’s van.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
Cast:  Denzel WashingtonDemetrius Williams  Sarita ChoudhuryMeena  Roshan SethJay  Sharmila TagoreKinnu  Charles S. DuttonTyrone Williams  Joe SenecaWilliben Williams |
Mira Nair’s romantic drama film, Mississippi Masala (1991), follows the story of Jay, Kinnu, and their daughter Mina, a family of Ugandan Indians. After dictator Idi Amin expels Asians from Uganda in 1972, the family tearfully leaves their home behind and settles in Greenwood, Mississippi with relatives who own motels there. Despite spending years in England before arriving in America, Jay struggles to adapt to his new life and longs to return to Kampala. His distrust towards black people stems from the effects of Amin’s rule. Meanwhile, Mina has fully embraced American culture and has a diverse group of friends. However, she feels stifled by her parents’ insistence on only associating with those from their own community.
Mina falls for Demetrius, a local African American carpet cleaner who is self-employed. Aware of her parents’ disapproval, she keeps their relationship low-key. The couple embarks on a romantic weekend getaway to Biloxi, but their privacy is invaded when members of the Indian community spot them together and begin spreading gossip. Jay, feeling ashamed and outraged, forbids Mina from ever seeing Demetrius again. Additionally, Mina faces discrimination from members of Demetrius’ own community. In a confrontation with Jay, Demetrius reveals his own experiences with racism in Uganda and calls out Jay for his hypocrisy. Ultimately, both families are unable to fully accept the interracial couple, leading them to flee the state together in Demetrius’s van.
