Product Details

• Actors: Denzel Washington, Sarita Choudhury, Roshan Seth, Sharmila Tagore, Charles S. Dutton
• Directors: Mira Nair
• Writers: Sooni Taraporevala
• Producers: Mira Nair, Cherie Rodgers, Lydia Dean Pilcher, Michael Nozik, Mitch Epstein
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: January 9, 1996
• Run Time: 118 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0800115066
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,934 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BACK WHEN MIRA NAIR WAS STILL A TRUE FILMMAKER, August 1, 2003

By 

Shashank Tripathi (Gadabout) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mississippi Masala (DVD)

What a brilliant piece of low-key, realistic movie making, from the days when Mira Nair was making in your face movies such as Salaam Bombay and Mississipi Masala.

The first thing admirable about it is Nair's ability to merge three cultures (Uganda, India, & Southern American) into an enchanting love story. An Indian family of a man, his wife and their young daughter Mina are expelled from Uganda under the reign of dictator Amin. The family eventually moves to the U.S. When Mina grows up she finds herself caught in a curious cultural twist and considers herself a mix "masala". She later falls in love with a black carpet cleaner (played immaculately by Denzil) only to stir up a hornet's nest in her family, culture and community.

The movie is from 1992, so the mild racism undercurrent may be a bit tired but wasn't when it came out, in fact most of the ironies (e.g., both the lovers are "colored" in different shades) are shown in a light-hearted and dignified manner.

The movie has a clutch of hilarious moments as well, which make it an all round fun movie to watch. Both the protagonists, Denzil as the southern man and Sarita Chaudhari as the Indian woman, are actually quite likeable characters and you end up caring about both of them.

A very wholesome treat to watch!

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bittersweet, January 5, 2003

By 

S. Brand "sandra807" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mississippi Masala [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a sweet and poignant movie about an interracial relationship. Whites barely enter the picture in this one though; the forbidden relationship is between a black (Denzel Washington) and Indian Mina (Sarita Choudhury), both beautiful people and with onscreen chemistry between them. It's interesting that before their romance, members of each family agreed that Indians and Blacks needed to stick together, because "anyone who isn't white in America is colored", yet after the romance was discovered, Mina's father discourged her, saying that she needed to stick with "her own kind".

The theme of racism is brought to fore right at the beginning of the movie, with the banishment of Mina's Indian family from Uganda, a reminder that racism exists in many parts of the world. The family finds safety and economic opportunity in America, yet they never feel quite at home, or quite accepted in American society.

However, we also are reminded in the film that as slow as America has been to change in accepting minorities, and even more, interracial relationships, change is occurring. When the couple finds a way to go forward in their life and their relationship, they must make a decision that affects their families. The movie, though it has many delightful moments, shows us that overcoming racial barriers is still a bittersweet process.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lesson to be Learned By ALL!, December 19, 2000

By 

Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mississippi Masala [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Mira Nair's film "teaches" without being preachy. The motion picture explores racism in all its ugly forms. The story begins with the expulsion of Indians and other Asians from Uganda because "Africa is for Africans" and brings one family to America (Mississippi, to be exact). There the family, specifically the daughter (Sarita Choudhury) in her relationship with a black man (Denzel Washington) experiences some of the same prejudices faced in Uganda.

In one very amusing, yet revealing, series of scenes, various characters "speak" to the screen sharing their opinions about other races, as well as those of the same race with a different skin hue.

"Masala" is a beautiful film with strong performances by Washington, Choudhury, and veteran actors Roshan Seth and Joe Seneca. The supporting cast also complements a truly entertaining film.

Hopefully, the studio that released the film will re-issue it in video form for others to view this fine production.