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...
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Title: Mississippi Masala (1991)
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5 wins & 2 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Denzel Washington | ... | ||
| Sarita Choudhury | ... | ||
| Roshan Seth | ... |
Jay (Meena's dad)
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| Sharmila Tagore | ... |
Kinnu
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| Charles S. Dutton | ... |
Tyrone Williams
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| Joe Seneca | ... |
Williben Williams
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Ranjit Chowdhry | ... |
Anil
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Mohan Gokhale | ... |
Pontiac
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Mohan Agashe | ... |
Kanti Napkin
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| Tico Wells | ... |
Dexter Williams
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Yvette Hawkins | ... |
Aunt Rose
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| Anjan Srivastav | ... |
Jammubhai
(as Anjan Srivastava)
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Dipti Suthar | ... |
Chanda (Anil's wife)
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Varsha Thaker | ... |
Kusumben
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Ashok Lath | ... |
Harry Patel
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
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. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>
Taglines:
Romeo and Juliet had it easy. See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
5 February 1992 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Mississippi Masala See more »Box Office
Gross:
$7,310,000 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Demetrius Williams: Daddy, I didn't do nothing wrong.
Williben Williams: Mr. Morgan helped you get that loan to start up this business. Now, how am I going to be able to show my face around them after this?
Aunt Rose: That Mr. Morgan, he didn't give his own money. All he did was recommend Demetrius to the bank! See, all you and the rest of them want is for him to know his place and stay in it! But the days of slavery, they're over, Williben!
Dexter Williams: Yeah, boy!
Aunt Rose: *Hush!*
Dexter Williams: [falls silent]
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Demetrius' father, Williben, works as a server at a restaurant in their hometown of Greenwood, Mississippi. The location used to shoot the restaurant scenes was Lusco's, a real restaurant that has been a Greenwood institution since it was opened in 1933 by Italian immigrants. The restaurant's appearance is distinguished by its individual, curtained-off private dining booths, which are visible in the movie. As of 2006, the restaurant was still running. See more »Goofs
When the family is leaving on the bus to the airport, there is a parrot on Okelo's shoulder. In the close-up of Okelo, the parrot is missing. See more »Quotes
Williben Williams: What's wrong with you, boy? Don't you know the rules?Demetrius Williams: Daddy, I didn't do nothing wrong.
Williben Williams: Mr. Morgan helped you get that loan to start up this business. Now, how am I going to be able to show my face around them after this?
Aunt Rose: That Mr. Morgan, he didn't give his own money. All he did was recommend Demetrius to the bank! See, all you and the rest of them want is for him to know his place and stay in it! But the days of slavery, they're over, Williben!
Dexter Williams: Yeah, boy!
Aunt Rose: *Hush!*
Dexter Williams: [falls silent]
See more »
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.