Mississippi Masala

Starring:Mohan Agashe, Sarita Choudhury, Ranjit Chowdhry, Willy Cobbs, Charles S. Dutton, Mohan Gokhale, Yvette Hawkins, Ashok Lath, Natalie Oliver, Karen Pinkston, Rajika Puri, Joe Seneca, Roshan Seth, Anjaan Srivastav, Dipti Suthar, Sharmila Tagore, Varsha Thaker, Denzel Washington, Tico Wells
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Mira Nair, the Indian director, scored an international art-house hit with her feature debut, Salaam Bombay!, a tale of life in the streets of seething urban India. Her next film was a surprising turnabout: Mississippi Masala is a cultural study and a love story set in the rural American south. The love story comes courtesy of Denzel Washington, as a rug cleaner, and Sarita Choudhury (from Nair's Kama Sutra), as the daughter of Indian immigrants running a small-time motel; both give fresh, charming performances. But Nair is equally interested in capturing the feelings of an exile's life, and Roshan Seth, the fine actor who played Nehru in Gandhi, superbly catches the hope and sorrow of dislocation. Although the issues are serious, Nair maintains a breezy, naturalistic approach, and the various ingredients of this masala blend into a rich, flavorful stew. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

The best American movie on Interracial Romance period.......2007-02-23

After writing my review on 'Something New, people are going to assume I hate IR unions when that simply is not the case, I like a great film that explores more than just the surface on IR unions. The producers, female actors, and director of "Something New" were so arrogant promting the movie like their movie was going to change the paradigm of IR amongst Black Women. Well 15 years ago I saw and happen to own the best American and most realistic movie on the subject of mixed relationships that explores the race, class, regional, multicultural issues of romance it is "Mississippi Masala".

Mira Nair (who has directed other classics) shot this work of art in 1992 starring Denzel Washington, Joe Senca, Charles S. Dutton, Mohan Agashe, and Sarita Choudhury in this multi- layered film that explores all those themes in a realistic setting. The film is stunning in the price each charcter plays in their pursuit of some sort of redemption in their lives. Race in the south is at the forefront, but so is class, ethnic and racial politics and ultimately love in a film that at least explores other types of mixed relationships that I think is the key to finding at least racial co-existence in this country. Nair has created a work of art that will open your heart long after the film ends.

This is the film that the makers of 'Something New' could not have made because of their arrogance.

mississippi masala.......2006-11-14

Unfortunately, I was sent a standard American copy of the movie which, of course, doesn't function on a european system, despite my adress beeing in Switzerland. So I was kind of disapointed to have a)lost the money b)not been able to watch the movie. One is wrong to assume that every european household is having an american compatible DVD player.

Decent, but not Nair's best work.......2006-10-25

Why are the two lead characters in love? It's not really clear, which is a problem since their relationship is the impetus that drives most of the plot developments in the film. Once the events get going, the plot provides an interesting platform for exploring different issues of race and family, but I feel like there's something a bit hollow in the emotional connection that's supposed to underlie the whole story. I almost felt more moved by some of the background relationships of the secondary characters (e.g the father and the estranged childhood friend he left behind in Uganda) than by that of the main characters.

That said, the film is not awful, and does some things well. It has a few genuinely funny moments, but I felt like the promise of the premise and plot was ultimately stronger than the execution in dialogue and character development. See this movie if you've already seen Nair's other movies and are looking to complete your knowledge of her opus, or have a particular interest in this genre of film, but don't put it on your top ten list on the basis of its independent merits. It's entertaining, but not one for the ages.

A couple of shades can make a difference.......2006-07-05

This is an amazing movie and one I'm happy to have in my collection. The story is definitely not face-paced but has fine detail throughout. You get a feel for the diverse characters that inhabit this story involving: two continents, four cultures and the subtlety of various shades of skin tones. The love story is good but is enhanced by the subplot involving an East Indian's family exodus from their home in Africa. I guess you'd call it a drama? Hey, I don't know but there are multiple opportunities to share the characters' moments of irony, comedy and yes, love.

The real lesson here is- aren't we all just a couple of shades away from being labeled, defined or characterized by someone else's reality? You might be surprised what label has been attached to you!

Honest Film.......2005-12-03

I had seen this film a number of times either on T.V. or by me popping it in on my DVD player. Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury are a pleasure to watch in this engaging story about a love affair between a Africa American male and an Indian woman, whom both has never been to there native land, and how their romance causes strife in a small Southern town. The movie handles the reactions by both families to the interracial union of Mina and Demetrius. Against all this, a subplot in the story revolves around the loss of a homeland and friendship between Choudhury's proud Ugandan national father and the Black Ugandan friend he left behind during Idi Amin's reign of terror.
There are very few movies that can capture the emotions that go along with such a sensitive and controversial matter. Most importantly the opinions, thoughts, and traditions, both negative and positive, of both the Indian and Black communities are fairly communicated through the movie. A must see film and the only one I'm aware of that explores the relationship between African Americans and ethnic Indians.

Bhaji on the Beach / Mississippi Masala (2 Pack)

Average customer rating:

Bhaji on the Beach / Mississippi Masala (2 Pack)
Director: Mira Nair , and Gurinder Chadha
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Product Description

Bhaji on the Beach DVD New A group of women of Indian descent take a trip together from their home in Birmingham, England to the beach resort of Blackpool. The women vary in ages from midteens to old, and initially have little in common. But the events of the day lead them to better mutual understanding and solidarity. Additional Details: Sound: 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English and French Widescreen Aspect Ratio: 1.55:1 Mississippi Masala DVD New Mississippi Masala is a poignant emotional and often humorous look at the human situation. It is a peppery mix of an AfricanAmerican man and an Indian woman whose lives collide, literally, on a rural road in Greenwood, Mississippi. They et a once sleepy Southern town aflame with this story of exile, of home and nostalgia. Addtional Details: Sound: English and French 2.0 Dolby Surround Aspect ratio: Full Screen (1.33:1) Subtitles: English (SDH)

Average customer rating:

Mississippi Masala (1992)
Director: Mira Nair
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Product Description

An Indian family is expelled from Uganda when Idi Amin takes power. They move to Mississippi and time passes. The Indian daughter falls in love with a black man, and the respective families have to come to terms with it.

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