Mississippi Masala Reviews

• Bittersweet

  
  By A141G76IBJ7I7T on 2003-01-06
  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.
  
  

• BACK WHEN MIRA NAIR WAS STILL A TRUE FILMMAKER

  
  By A1L8HRCM60W0W7 on 2003-08-02
  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!
  
  

• Absolutely Wonderful!

  
  By on 2000-07-16
  I am very impressed with this particular movie. It was well-scripted and the cast is dynamic. Sarita Choudhury and Denzel Washington are superb actors. Roshan Seth should have been nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Mina's father. This movie really is Mira Nair's shining light.

  I like the way the movie handles the reactions by both families to the interracial union of Mina and Demetrius. There are very few movies that can capture the emotions that go along with such a sensitive and controversial matter. Most importantly the opinions, thoughts, and traditions, both negative and positive, of both the Indian and Black communities are fairly communicated through the movie.

  Also, this is probably one of the few movies that brings the horrific realities of Idi Amin Dada's regime to the mainstream. Many people unfortuanately do not know who this maniac was(is) or what he did to Uganda, its people, and the rest of Africa because it is not taught in many schools anymore. This book definately sheds some light on this vital part of world history.
  
  

• Another Great Film from Mira Nair!

  
  By A1KK37PZ78A0W8 on 2000-08-17
  Fans of Mira Nair's Oscar nominated SALAAM BOMBAY! will not be disappointed by this unassuming little movie about an interracial romance in Mississippi.

  Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury are a pleasure to watch in this engaging story about a love affair between a Black man (who's never been to Africa) and an Indian woman (who has never been to India) and how thier romance causes strife in a small Southern town.

  Washington and Choudhury have amazing chemistry onscreen, transforming this modern day romance into an updated Romeo & Juliet with a spicy twist. The anxiety and strife their union causes among family members and town locals is realistically portrayed without falling into the trap of being being preachy or contrived.

  Against all this, a subplot in the story revolves around the loss of a homeland and friendship between Choudhury's proud Ugandan national father and the Black Ugandan friend he left behind during Idi Amin's reign of terror.

  A must see film and the only one I'm aware of that explores the relationship between African Americans and ethnic Indians.
  
  

• A Lesson to be Learned By ALL!

  
  By A31U2QT7SAL7K on 2000-12-19
  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.
  
  

• Honest Film
  By A3C6CZC2JP67VK on 2005-12-02
  I had seen this film a number of times either on T.V. or by me popping it in on my DVD player. Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury are a pleasure to watch in this engaging story about a love affair between a Africa American male and an Indian woman, whom both has never been to there native land, and how their romance causes strife in a small Southern town. The movie handles the reactions by both families to the interracial union of Mina and Demetrius. Against all this, a subplot in the story revolves around the loss of a homeland and friendship between Choudhury's proud Ugandan national father and the Black Ugandan friend he left behind during Idi Amin's reign of terror.
  There are very few movies that can capture the emotions that go along with such a sensitive and controversial matter. Most importantly the opinions, thoughts, and traditions, both negative and positive, of both the Indian and Black communities are fairly communicated through the movie. A must see film and the only one I'm aware of that explores the relationship between African Americans and ethnic Indians.
  
  
  
• "Cruelty has no color."
  By A2MF2QVSCUI27G on 2005-09-24
  
  
  Mississippi Marsala begins in Uganda, as Idi Amin expels all the non-African landowners, turning their homes and property back to the Africans. Many Indians were brought to Africa to build roads and remained to raise their families and future generations. One of these men, Jay (Roshan Seth), a lawyer, is forced to leave with his wife and small daughter, Mina. Eventually the family moves to Mississippi, where other relatives and friends have set down roots, in this case, all of them living in the Motel Monte Cristo, owned by one of their group of exiles. Life goes on as usual, the rituals, traditions and holidays of an India many of them have never even seen.
  
  Mina (Sarita Choudury) has grown up, still living with her parents at twenty-four, a dutiful daughter. While her mother works in a liquor store and Mina cleans rooms at the motel, Jay spends the years suing the government of Uganda for redress of his property, still trapped in memories of the world he was forced to leave. When Mina has a minor car accident, she meets Demetrius (Denzel Washington), a man who has his own business, a carpet cleaning service, with his best friend T-Bone (Charles S. Dutton). Mina and Demetrius carry on a low-key romance that gradually becomes more intense. When Mina's relatives spot the couple at a motel in Biloxi, a fight breaks out, revealing the harsh racial truths that have so far lain dormant. Suddenly no one wants to use the carpet cleaning service, so Demetrius retaliates by suing Mina's cousin, who broke into the motel room. How the couple resolves their differences isn't as important as the social issues that are exposed.
  
  The cinematography is excellent, the African countryside awash with color and change, as the exiled gather their few belongings and board a shabby bus. Equally as striking is the Indian community gathered at the Motel Monte Cristo, the rooms decorated with the few cultural artifacts they have collected over the years. The Indians retain the spirit and enthusiasm that defines them. Demetrius' family is equally impressive, warm and accepting of Mina, sharing their home and hospitality. Watching both of these families as they deal with everyday concerns, it is shocking to see how easily misunderstanding can break down communication, separating the wonderful characters into "us" and "them", an exact mirror of the issues in Uganda that left Jay's family homeless. Demetrius challenges Jay, decrying the Indian's sense of entitlement, the Indians' value of property. He suggests that "home is where the heart is", not off in some distant land that they may never return to, a lesson Jay will learn all too well. This exuberant film from director Mira Nair dishes up a cultural feast of color and emotion, contrasting the customs of people who share the same heart. Luan Gaines/2005.
  
  
• Beautiful, instructive, yet falls short
  By APP5MBH2BSX6I on 2003-02-22
  For many years Denzel Washington has been my favorite actor. He has a presence, a style and class, that set him apart, and has become truly expert at picking his projects. "Mississippi Masala" is one of those projects, and I certainly understand his wise selection of this subject matter.

  This story of a blossoming romance between a black Mississippi man and a young woman born in Uganda of Asian Indian parents, yet raised in the U.S., certainly has its appeal. The Indians are a quiet minority in U.S. culture, and it's interesting to see the work of lauded Indian director Mira Nair. She presents a balanced and realistic view of black family life as well as the little-discussed (in U.S. culture) experience of those Indian people brought to Uganda to work for the British, and who were cast out by dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s for not being black.

  The racial themes presented here are fresh and appealing in their interest, and explain a subculture that we Americans rarely consider. The surprise (for the supporting characters) comes when Washington and gorgeous co-star Sarita Choudhury find themselves intensely attracted to each other. Her childhood among a black majority makes her interest in Washington quite natural, but only to her as far as the characters in the film are concerned. It's not just Sarita who is eye candy, but the cinematography in general is beautifully done as well.

  Yet something here just doesn't make me fall in love with the movie. Perhaps it's that the conflict comes too little too late, or that the exposition of the Ugandan experience takes so long to develop that there's not enough room in my mind to fully develop the romance. As a sheer fan of Washington's work, also, there's just not enough of him to go around for me, and his character is certainly not as fully drawn as many he has played.

  Overall I'd say this is well worth a rental, but I wouldn't be interested in seeing it again. It left me wanting more, which is sometimes a good thing for a film and sometimes a disappointment. It's a "little" story, not a grand epic that could be justified as a three-hour film. So, maybe the real trouble is that Nair tries to tell too much story in a too-small frame, and doesn't go deep enough into several aspects of the story as I would have liked. Too bad.
  
  

• A Singular, Lasting, and Still Necessary Achievement
  By A2J4E6UU0GUDB4 on 2004-03-01
  What a wonderful film. Kudos to Mira Nair, all of the actors and crewpeople, the producers, and the extras. This little gem of a film has not only stood the test of time, but is quietly growing in stature. Certainly one of the better efforts in Denzel Washington's body of work.

  Other commentators have noted how good of job Nair does in making this film a "Masala" at many levels. Everything from the story, to the actors, the sets, the lighting and much else besides communicates and celebrates the vibrancy of life and of culture. Another sometimes overlooked aspect of the film's appeal is that this story is emblematic; we all KNOW and can relate to these characters, because we sense that they are based on real people.

  This is a dignified story, told with passion and humor and spice. In short, this film is exactly what the title says it is. In short it's a wonderful slice of life.

  Job well done.
  
  

• A Warm-Hearted Movie With Some Good Lessons
  By A2GCHG6U8HTVIT on 2005-05-12
  Masala - in Indian cooking, a mixture of many spices.
  Garam Masala - a mixture of ground spices used for flavoring foods, as with curries, with other mixtures of spices such as Tandoori masala, green masala and Madras masala.
  Mississippi Masala - a spicy mixture of different cultures, different races and different outlooks.
  
  Demetrius (Denzel Washington) is a young African-American guy who lives in a small Mississippi town. He's ambitious, hard working and has started his own rug cleaning business. Mina (Sarita Choudhury) is the daughter of immigrants from Uganda who came to America when Idi Amin forced all Ugandans of Indian descent to leave the country. Her father was a well-to-do lawyer, who now helps manage a small motel, one of several small businesses members of the Indian community have started. Mina works at the motel.
  
  Demetrius and Mina meet when Mina accidently runs into the back of Demetrius' van. They are a bit intrigued with each other. Demetrius calls her a few days later and asks if she'd like to come to his home on a Sunday afternoon for a barbecued chicken dinner and to meet his family. She agrees. Eventually he meets her family. Then the problems start. Mina can barely remember Uganda, with which her father is obsessed to have his property returned. Her outlook is American; her parents' outlook that of a traditional Indian family, where young people marry within the circle of friends, where the color of the skin can be just as much a factor as it is in America. Demetrius has dealt with white attitudes all his life. Now Mina is dealing with her parents' attitudes. After some ups and downs, Demetrius and Mina decide to find their own future away from Mississippi, and with the blessings -- the worried blessings -- of their families.
  
  This movie is not as somber as it may seem. It actually is a very humane and friendly film, with people trying to do the right thing and gradually learning lessons from each other. Denzel Washington is excellent as a man with a head on his shoulders, in love with Mina, concerned about his father and younger brother, and determined to make his way. Mira Nair, who directed Monsoon Wedding, does a fine job. There might be a little too much time spend on the Uganda background, but it does help in understanding Mina's father and his reactions. This is very nice movie, well worth watching.
  
  
• "Home is Where the Heart is"
  By A1OBJ2263JCK5 on 2003-05-30
  I've been a fan of Mira Nair's "Mississippi Masala" since seeing it's original theatrical release in the early '90s. I was very dissapointed, when for a good period of time it was out of print.Now to my great surprise and delight the movie has been released to DVD."Mississippi Masala" is a wonderful comedy/drama about coming of age, race relations and ruminations of home and the heart.Director, Mira Nair has deftly told the story of a transplanted Indian family, who has uneasily settled in rural Mississippi.We learn (in a series of backflashes) how the family had to sadly leave their native country of Uganda, under a mass expulsion ordered by dictator,General Idi Amin in the early '70s. The family's father, Jaye (well played by Roshan Seth) loses everything including his property, his best friend, his country and his self respect.Fast forward eighteen years later. The immigrant family's daughter, Mina (Sarita Choudury) has grown into a beautiful young women and is the 'Masala' of the film's title (a hot & spicey mixture of exotic ingrediants). Through a series of comical incidents she meets and falls in love with an pesonable, African American man named Demitrious (Denzel Washington), who runs his own carpet cleaning business.Sparks fly as the area's two minority communities (African-American & Indian) react with both hostlity and humor to the lover's interacial romance.This is a story about discovering one's place in life. About finding out where you belong and being with the one you love. Eventually the main characters learn the lesson that "home is where the heart is".This is wonderful moving film that touches both the heart and the funnybone.I highly recommend it!
  
  
• Something for everyone
  By AWJ1RB1SRUSZ1 on 2003-10-03
  I'm a big fan of Denzel, and all reviewers are right about the quality and sensuality of the love story that is central to this movie. And where else will most of us get to see Denzel do "The Electric Slide?" But...having said that, I found that the love story was the least interesting thing about this movie! I was fascinated to learn about the Indian culture in the South (and I have seen the "American owned" signs on motels in the South, an obvious attempt to attract patrons who don't want to stay at an Indian owned motel). The deep pain of exile felt by the father was the most moving element to me. I felt moved to tears at several points, and at the end. As a Jew, I identified very strongly with the father's and family's distress at being forcibly and violently evicted from home based on racial and ethnic hatred. A wonderful film.
  
  
• Decent, but not Nair's best work
  By A190JLSOZSCFPI on 2006-10-25
  Why are the two lead characters in love? It's not really clear, which is a problem since their relationship is the impetus that drives most of the plot developments in the film. Once the events get going, the plot provides an interesting platform for exploring different issues of race and family, but I feel like there's something a bit hollow in the emotional connection that's supposed to underlie the whole story. I almost felt more moved by some of the background relationships of the secondary characters (e.g the father and the estranged childhood friend he left behind in Uganda) than by that of the main characters.
  
  That said, the film is not awful, and does some things well. It has a few genuinely funny moments, but I felt like the promise of the premise and plot was ultimately stronger than the execution in dialogue and character development. See this movie if you've already seen Nair's other movies and are looking to complete your knowledge of her opus, or have a particular interest in this genre of film, but don't put it on your top ten list on the basis of its independent merits. It's entertaining, but not one for the ages.
  
  
• DVD was worth the wait!
  By on 2003-06-25
  I have waited years for the release of this DVD. It does not have a lot of extras but the picture is clear and the movie just as wonderful as I remember.

  Other reviewers have given opinions about the movie. I just want to point out that this is one of only two romantic films with Denzel Washington and this is the only one where he plays someone who is both sexy and monogomus.

  The movie tells the story of Mina's father played by Roshan Seth and his struggle with what happend when their family was expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin. The romance between Mina and Dimitrius is a terrific plot device that forces Mina's father to examine his views of the past. He has to resolve his feelings for his best friend, Okelo, who he felt betrayed him because of race in order to get on with his life.

  The resoloution of the love story is not given as much time as I would like but you do know the outcome.

  Buy this movie it is well worth it!
  
  

• Entertaining and thoughtful
  By A27VO636QC3MLF on 2003-08-17
  This film is a wonderfully acted, directed and scripted parable on the power of love to overcome racial and ethnic divisions, filled with humor, insight, pathos and inspiration, and which completely avoids the trap of becoming preachy.
  One of its particularly interesting insights for me was its take on the polarizing nature of black-white racial divisions in this country. This is shown not only by the negative reaction of the local Indian community in this small Mississippi town to the romance of one of its women by a black man, but, even more revealingly, by the response of the local whites, which results in the bank calling in its loan on Denzel Washington's carpet cleaning business, along with the loss of his white clientele. Even though the relationship in question is between two dark skinned people, the whites react to this as though the Indian woman is white. In otherwords, for the whites, if you are not black you are white, or, at least, the equivalent of white.
  I strongly recommend this movie.
  
  
• magnificent film!
  By ADS5APY1NKTL4 on 2004-05-14
  If you aren't familiar with Mira Nair, the brilliant Indian filmmaker who has brought us magnificent (and more recent films) like Monsoon Wedding, this is a great introduction to her genius. I happen to be a Denzel Washington fan, and wanted to see his earlier work, which led me to rent this film.

  It is set in the South, and is centered on Meena (Sarita Chudhury), an young, ethnically-Indian, Ugandan national who immigrated to the Southern United States with her parents after the uprising of Idi Amin (Ugandan president) who decided that the way to rid the nation of the "Asian problem" was to expel them from the country to begin with. She settles in the States, cleaning hotel bathrooms with her Mum, and living with her parents as a 24 year old woman. Demetrius (Denzel Washington) is a young African-American man who cleans carpets and helps support his family and stays out of trouble. What initially starts out as a "rebound" relationship turns into something more--which upsets both sets of families. Though, Meena and Demetrius are outcast in a White culture, there are still divisions between their races that are reinforced by their parents and relatives. It also is an interesting juxtaposition of Meena's family and their experiences with Black Ugandans (ethnic Indians as the ultimate "untouchables" in the African nation), and how Indians in the U.S. South are viewed in comparison with African-Americans who endured White racism, and, before that, slavery and great oppression for many years.

  The acting is beautiful in this film, and the love story of the interracial couple is engaging, funny, and touching. For Mira Nair buffs---she makes an appearance in the wedding scene, early on, as one of the gossipy guests! Hint: She has short black hair.......
  Don't miss this beautiful, heartfelt and thoughtful film.
  
  

• Love this film
  By A314LCGWS08QFM on 2004-06-29
  I love this film. I saw this film when I was a young. My aunt had free tickets to the first showing at the Ritz, in Philly (The Ritz only shows movies that are not well known, such as independent films, documentaries, etc.) This movie stayed in my mind and now I own it on DVD. It is excellent. I loved Denzel in it and Charles S. Dutton is funny also. If you are a Denzel fan, you must have this one in your collection.
  
  
• A couple of shades can make a difference
  By A1UTIT634AL3KQ on 2006-07-05
  This is an amazing movie and one I'm happy to have in my collection. The story is definitely not face-paced but has fine detail throughout. You get a feel for the diverse characters that inhabit this story involving: two continents, four cultures and the subtlety of various shades of skin tones. The love story is good but is enhanced by the subplot involving an East Indian's family exodus from their home in Africa. I guess you'd call it a drama? Hey, I don't know but there are multiple opportunities to share the characters' moments of irony, comedy and yes, love.
  
  The real lesson here is- aren't we all just a couple of shades away from being labeled, defined or characterized by someone else's reality? You might be surprised what label has been attached to you!
  
  
• Mix Masala
  By A1GOJJQ3EK8NB9 on 2000-06-19
  Synopsis
  An Indian family (husband, wife and 6 yr old daughter Mina) are expelled from Uganda under the reign of dictator Idi Amin. The family eventually moves to the U.S. When Mina grows up she finds herself caught between cultures (Africa, India, America etc), and considers herself a "mix masala". She later falls in love with a black carpet cleaner (Denzel Washington) only to stir up a whole heap of trouble among her family, culture and community.

  My Review
  I love it! Written by Sooni Taraporevala, and directed by Mira Nair, this movie came out in '92, but I did not see it until 2000. It was so well done, there should be more films like this. The romance was very nicely scripted, and the story was very accurate in its depiction of what happens when an Indian girl has an affair with a non-Indian in America, how the family reacts etc. Also, certain scenes are so funny, you half to stop the tape to finish cracking up! Interesting, fun, and heartwarming. Excellent!
  
  

• A different take on interracial love.
  By AQTLEPYWOJNEM on 2005-04-24
  Mississippi Masala is indeed a different kind of interracial love story. It involves a black man (Denzel Washington) and an East Indian woman from Uganda(Sarita Choudhury). When Mina is a little girl, she and her family, along with the Indian population as a whole, are expelled from their homeland with little more than the clothes on their backs when Idi Amin comes into power. Eventually they settle in Greenwood Mississippi and by this time, Mina is a grown woman. Her father Jay (Roshan Seth), who was a well off lawyer in Uganda, spends most of his time suing the Ugandan government in hopes of getting his property back and going home. Her mother runs a local liquor store. They live in a motel owned by their cousin and Mina helps earn their stay by cleaning bathrooms there. Demetrius owns a successful carpet cleaning business in Greenwood and lives with his father (Joe Seneca) who buses tables at a local restaurant and his little brother (Tico Wells) who simply hangs out doing nothing all day. He meets Mina when she slams a car into the back of his van and initially gives her attention only to make his ex girlfriend jealous but finds himself falling in love with her. When their families find out, it all hits the fan. Some of the reaction is funny but much of it is very sad as well.
  
  Just as compelling as the love story itself is the relationship between the Indian and Black communities and Jay's own emotional struggles. The Indians are looked down on by the local whites yet they themsleves look down on the local blacks. The Indian hotel owner tells Demetrius and his partner that people of color should unite yet forgets his own words when he finds out about Demetrius' relationship with Mina. Demetius is already resented by some of his own people because of his success and his relationship with a non-black woman only makes matters worse. Mina's family, already marginalized because of their fall from prosperity and their dark complexions (yes it's an issue among Indians too), are marginalized even more. Both Demetrius, who thought that Mississippi was changing for the better, and Mina, who always identified with black culture and never had any apparent racial hangups, are unpleasantly surprised by it all. Before I spoil anything, let me just say that most should find the ending positive and satisfying.
  
  
  
  
• The best American movie on Interracial Romance period
  By A20UFOPYGGHHZ on 2007-02-23
  After writing my review on 'Something New, people are going to assume I hate IR unions when that simply is not the case, I like a great film that explores more than just the surface on IR unions. The producers, female actors, and director of "Something New" were so arrogant promting the movie like their movie was going to change the paradigm of IR amongst Black Women. Well 15 years ago I saw and happen to own the best American and most realistic movie on the subject of mixed relationships that explores the race, class, regional, multicultural issues of romance it is "Mississippi Masala".
  
  Mira Nair (who has directed other classics) shot this work of art in 1992 starring Denzel Washington, Joe Senca, Charles S. Dutton, Mohan Agashe, and Sarita Choudhury in this multi- layered film that explores all those themes in a realistic setting. The film is stunning in the price each charcter plays in their pursuit of some sort of redemption in their lives. Race in the south is at the forefront, but so is class, ethnic and racial politics and ultimately love in a film that at least explores other types of mixed relationships that I think is the key to finding at least racial co-existence in this country. Nair has created a work of art that will open your heart long after the film ends.
  
  This is the film that the makers of 'Something New' could not have made because of their arrogance.
  
  
• DVD PLEASE!
  By A1D5BTJVP6PYPQ on 2002-10-29
  Out of all of Denzel Washington's movies, this is probably my favorite. This is an extremely powerful story of how love can cross ethnic and cultural barriers. When are the powers that be going to convert this to DVD? I've been patiently waiting.
  
  
• one of great racial films ever
  By AD5OF4QIP4EJ4 on 2007-12-29
  This is a master piece which touches delicate subject of racism. This time between South asian Indian girl ( played by sexy saritha ) and black guy (played by charming Denzel). The movie gives glimpse of lesser know Indian culture for Americans. How some Indians although almost as dark as africans still stick to racist thinking. It shows being victim of racism doesn't insulate one to treat others the same way. However the movie is balanced and doesn't exploit the situation. Denzel is really charming with boyish look courting a young girl although ignorant of the culture. The love making scene is very romantic and steamy although there is little nudity. Sarity is sultry and ravishing. The movie is not preachy and yet has a hidden message. That one can come of self made shell if we take some risk and accept the reality. The movie covers 2 themes, family life in Uganda, Life in deep south Missisipi (the accent tells it all). The movie covers delicate topic very realistically and funny at times. However we somehow feel that problem of racism is not digged deeper at the end. Worth seeing just to see skilled Denzel !
  
  
• Intense, sexy and honest!
  By on 1999-08-02
  A beautiful love story in Mississippi about very real people and the potential for those of other races and nationalities to fall in love. Also, a HISTORY LESSON regarding real life events in Uganda. A happy ending for the lovers but in your face racism in the 90's STILL rears it's very ugly head.
  
  
• The best multiracial movie ever made
  By on 1999-09-29
  Mississippi Masala is the best Innerracial movie ever done. It deals with the issue of a multiracial relationship, and shows that true love wins at the end. So well done!!!! I wish more movies were produces on this level.
  
  
• Entertaining for all cultures
  By A1CYRTQ04LYI55 on 2005-04-20
  The movie presented the timeless story of people from other cultures breaking cultural barriers to find love. Similar to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the movie winds up speaking for more than just the cultures presented. Better than the Greek Wedding movie, this presents two sides of the cultural divide, and provides a wider range of emotional challenge. Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury are outstanding in the leads, and the supporting cast puts in a very strong strong.
  
  Without spoiling, the ending of the movie was weak. I was not too disappointed when it finished, but I can't give five stars to a movie when I find myself saying, "Please don't continue this for 10 more minutes, they are ruining a great movie"
  
  
• Wow - the things that divide us as humans!
  By A2FE13T3NRDITE on 2008-02-10
  Wonderful story-line beautifully acted out by the two main characters Denzel Washington's Demetrius and Sarita Chodury's Mina. Prejudice has no color.
  
  
• A Great Movie!
  By ACSCEF811C46R on 1999-10-02
  I myself have seen a lot of good movies. This one is THE best
  
  
• one of the decades best
  By on 1999-10-31
  a very compelling film that deals really strongly with interracial romance.it collides with diffrences and themes really well.very good film and a reminder of how life is viewed by many on diffrences in race and class.it kinda reminds me of mrs.robinson with a twist.very good soundtrack.
  
  
• mississippi masala
  By A9SKRUYTBFIJ0 on 2006-11-13
  Unfortunately, I was sent a standard American copy of the movie which, of course, doesn't function on a european system, despite my adress beeing in Switzerland. So I was kind of disapointed to have a)lost the money b)not been able to watch the movie. One is wrong to assume that every european household is having an american compatible DVD player.
  
  

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