Mississippi Masala (1991)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Mira Nair

Writer:

Sooni Taraporevala (writer)

Release Date:

5 February 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

Passion. Tradition. Mix It Up.

Plot:

An Indian family is expelled from Uganda when Idi Amin takes power. They move to Mississippi and time passes...

Plot Keywords:

Uganda | Africa | Love | Motel | Happy Birthday To You

Awards:

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Denzel Washington	...	Demetrius Williams
Sarita Choudhury	...	Meena
Roshan Seth	...	Jay (Meena's dad)
Sharmila Tagore	...	Kinnu (Jay's wife)
Charles S. Dutton	...	Tyrone Williams
Joe Seneca	...	Williben Williams
Ranjit Chowdhry	...	Anil
Mohan Gokhale	...	Pontiac
Mohan Agashe	...	Kanti Napkin
Tico Wells	...	Dexter Williams
Yvette Hawkins	...	Aunt Rose
Anjan Srivastav	...	Jammubhai (as Anjan Srivastava)
Dipti Suthar	...	Chanda (Anil's wife)
Varsha Thaker	...	Kusumben
Ashok Lath	...	Harry Patel

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | UK:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Biloxi, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Black River Productions

Trivia:

Joseph Olita, who plays Idi Amin, also played him in Rise and Fall of Idi Amin (1981).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: There are numerous problems with the map displayed when the family is leaving Africa. Florence is shown as a seaside town in Italy; Hartford, CT is placed too far East; Providence, RI is too far West; Durham, NC is placed too far Northwest and right on the Virginia border, which it isn't.

Quotes:

Jammubhai: I'm ashamed of you! I am so ashamed of you!
Anil: [referring to Meena's family] Why do you always take their side? I worked hard for this motel and I am *not* running a charity!
Jammubhai: Anil, you have become American.
Anil: So what? I'm living in America! You don't like it? Then go back to India!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Ahista Ahista

Mississippi Masala

I first viewed Mississippi Masala in 1992, I loved the movie as well as the soundtrack. Could not purchase a VHS at first so I purchased the soundtrack. Denzel was great and Sarita was on fire. The movie is multi-layered and very thought provoking. Two years later I found myself walking on the streets of Kampala, Uganda and recognizing some of the places in the movie, and asking the locals questions about some of the issues that were raised in the movie, ie. Idi Amin, and East Indians in Uganda. I enjoy watching and listening to movie whenever the opportunity presents itself. Seeing the movie always takes me back to 1992, and 1994 when I was in Kampala, Uganda seeing where part of the movie was made and where it all began...!