Mississippi Masala (1991)

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Mississippi Masala Cover

Mississippi Masala released in 1991 produced and directed by Mira Nair. The romantic drama film was based on a screenplay by Sooni Taraporevala. The story sets in rural Mississippi and explores the interracial relationships between African-American man and Indian American woman in U.S. The film received a rating of 81% from 21 critics based on Rotten Tomatoes. [1]. In 1994, the lead actor, Denzel Washington, won an award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture at NAACP Image Award. [2]

Plot

During the dictator's leadership, Idi Amin, many Indians were expelled from Uganda. This impacts Mina's family, who decided to move to Mississippi to start a new life. Mina comes from Indian community whose parents’ wish that their daughter only associate with people of their own community. Mina falls in love with a local African-American man, Demetrius, who worked as a carpet cleaner. She is aware that their relationship will be disappoved by her parents and decided to hide their relationships. The romance between Mina and Demetreus leaked as one of Indian community members saw the pair spending their weekend together in a hotel in Biloxi. The rumors began to spread within the community until Mina’s father, Jay, found out that her daughter was having a relationship with a man outside their race. Jay feels outraged and ashamed, he even forbids Mina from seeing Demetrius again. Mina also faces dislike from the black community. Later, Demetrius confronts Jay, who reveals his experiences of receiving racists treatment in Uganda, causing Demetrius calling Jay as a hypocrite. In the end, the two families cannot accept the racial difference relationship. [3]

As their community and families begin to feud, the two are faced with the ultimate dilemma between family and love. Mina an Demetrius decide to run away together.

Mississippi Masala, Mina and Demetrius

Controversy

Earlier in the film, at one scene, an Indian character attempts to prevent Demetrius who is willing to sue over the car accident by appealing racial solidarity : “Black, brown, yellow, Mexican, Puerto Rican: all the same. As long as you’re not white, it means you are colored… All us people of color must stick together.” [4]

However when this is related to the two main characters' romance, Demetrius and Mina’s relationship is not restricted by their different cultural backgrounds. Turned out Mina’s father’s racist experiences in Africa, Jay, who formerly being a Uganda lawyer living together and supporting the black community, becoming someone who disapproves of interracial relation. This shows how personal pain can lead to toxic views. They also confront Mina’s father’s refusal to accept them as an interracial couple. [5]

Saritya Choudhury on Mississippi Masala mentioned that the movie discusses colorism in a way people do not see oftentimes. As she recalled one line in the movie, “If you’re dark and rich, you’ll get married. If you’re fair and poor, you’ll get married. If you’re dark and poor, no chance.” Choudhury adds, “In our own groups, we know the rules and we know the internal racism. But because there’s so much fighting with the outer groups, you kind of let a lot slide or you’re embarrassed to mention it.” [6]

References