An ethnic Indian family is expelled from Idi Amin's Uganda in 1972 and lives in Mississippi 17 years later. The dad sues Uganda to get his property back. The grown daughter falls in love wit... Read allAn ethnic Indian family is expelled from Idi Amin's Uganda in 1972 and lives in Mississippi 17 years later. The dad sues Uganda to get his property back. The grown daughter falls in love with a Black man.An ethnic Indian family is expelled from Idi Amin's Uganda in 1972 and lives in Mississippi 17 years later. The dad sues Uganda to get his property back. The grown daughter falls in love with a Black man.
- Awards
- 5 wins & 3 nominations
- Jammubhai
- (as Anjan Srivastava)
- Alicia LeShay
- (as Natalie Oliver)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBen Kingsley was originally cast in the role of Mina's father, but he eventually withdrew from the project, prompting the original backers of the film to pull out. Nair was able to gain new funding after Denzel Washington was chosen for the role of Demetrius. She later mentioned she faced substantial pressure from potential backers to select white leads rather than Indians or African Americans
- GoofsThe Tri-color Flag of India is shown upside down, while it is being taken down when Jay & Kinnu are meeting Okello for the Last time. Green color is shown at top, which, actually is at the bottom & Orange being at top.
- Quotes
Okelo: You gave an interview on BBC saying that Amin was evil. Are you mad? What about Kinnu? What about Mina? Do you ever think of them?
Jay: What should I have done? Remain silent? That is the coward's way!
Okelo: Don't talk to me about cowards! That's what you are. You're not leaving because you're scared to leave. You are scared of leaving Uganda.
Jay: Why should I go? Why should I go? Okelo, this is my home.
Okelo: Not anymore, Jay. Africa is for Africans. *Black* Africans.
- Crazy creditsThe following appears at the end of the credits: Hakuna Matata "No Problem", in Kiswahili
- SoundtracksMera Joota Hai Japani
Performed by Mukesh and Chorus
Music by Shankarsingh Raghuwanshi (as Shankar) and Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal (as Jaikishan)
Lyrics by Shailendra
Courtesy of HMV (The Gramophone Co. of India, Ltd.)
"Mississippi Masala" focuses on this. Mina (Sarita Choudhury) is the daughter of an Indian family who fled Uganda for Mississippi. She develops a relationship with Demetrius (Denzel Washington), a local man. Her family does not approve of her dating a black man, and Demetrius' friends don't like him dating an Indian woman.
The movie shows many things, in particular how both the blacks and the Indians were displaced from their ancestral lands. Also, it shows how the blacks are racist towards the Indians and vice versa. As Demetrius reminds Mina's father: "Your skin is just a couple of shades from mine." Regardless of whether or not these sorts of things happen a lot, the movie does a very good job with it all.
- lee_eisenberg
- Jun 11, 2005
- Permalink
- How long is Mississippi Masala?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $5,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $7,332,515
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $45,831
- Feb 9, 1992
- Gross worldwide
- $7,332,515
- Runtime1 hour 58 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1