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Mississippi Masala (1992)

Film details

Alternative titles

  • Mississippi Marsala Alternative

Synopsis

The story of an Indian family who after always having lived in Uganda, Africa, are forced to leave under the orders of dictator Idi Amin when he declares that Africa belongs only to 'black' Africans. As they are being herded onto the plane at Kampala airport, the mother who is carrying a cassette player drops it and it sets off the song in the cassette which happens to be 'Mera Joota Hai Japani' a nod to Raj Kapoor's song from his film 'Shree 420'. The lawyer, his wife and little girl Mina, move to Mississippi where again, years later, racism presents problems. This time between the Indian and American/African community, coming to a head when the now 24-year-old Mina falls in love with a black carpet cleaner. 'Masala' in the film means a 'mixture of hot spices' which is how Mina sees herself through having come from such a rich mixture of cultural backgrounds.

Cast & Credits

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