Review of Mississippi Masala (1991) by Ade A — 28 Jul 2009

Passion. Tradition. Prejudice. Put the three together, and they all get the recipe of a sexy, irreverent romance interracial romance called Mississippi Masala. Mina - the daughter of Indian immigrants who were expelled from Uganda under the reign of dictator Idi Amin and now run a small-time motel - is a hot, spicy mix of Indian and American cultures. Demetrius is a Southern businessman and the motel's rug cleaner. But when they both fall in love, nothing in Mina's past prepares them for the family outrage they face.

Directed by Mira Nair, Mississippi Masala features great acting performances from the following cast:

1.) Denzel Washington (Demetrius).

2.) Roshan Seth (Jay).

3.) Sarita Choudhury (Mina).

4.) Sharmila Tagore (Kinnu).

5.) Charles S. Dutton (Tyrone).

6.) Joe Seneca (Williben).

I find Mississippi Masala as a great film example of a romantic drama focusing on interracial love while blurring out the racial, ethnic, and cultural barriers that keep our leading characters apart yet committed to each other. That fascinated me, and so did the past Uganda flashbacks and the feelings of Jay living in an exiled life while yearning to return to his homeland. It was interesting that the film's setting is in the Southern states, where the long history of racism kept the blacks and whites socially segregated until recent times. Here in Masala Mina and Demetrius fall in love, which proves that interracial relationships do work, and both Sarita and Denzel made this possible.