Mira Nair, now also known as the mother of New York's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, made a discovery many years ago when she began her directing career: many of the motels in the Deep South of the USA are run by Indians. Although their roots lay in India or Pakistan, many of them came to the USA via Uganda (it was Idi Amin who forced them to leave). In any case, they had demonstrated great talent for running small businesses. So, Harvard graduate Nair, who herself had lived in Uganda, decided to make a film about it. Mississippi Masala begins in Uganda. There, the family of an Indian lawyer lives in prosperity and security. Until Amin confiscates their property. Now we meet the family again in a run-down motel in Greenwood. The lawyer and his wife (Roshan Seth and Sharmila Tagore) have a particularly beautiful daughter named Mina (Sarita Choudhury). Mina has only vague memories of Uganda. We quickly realize that Mina doesn't share all of her parents' views. One day, she crashes into the car of an attractive Black man (Denzel Washington). They exchange numbers and fleeting glances. They go out together, but her parents demand that Mina marry one of their own... A reinterpretation of the Romeo & Juliet fable, enriched with racism and the isolation of the young woman. People here are seen only as stereotypes, not as individuals. Despite the serious subject matter, Mississippi Masala is funny and lighthearted—a true rom-com! And right in the middle of it all is a young Denzel Washington. Is there anything to criticize? Perhaps only that Nair tries to include too many aspects (such as the scenes in Uganda). But above all, the film introduces us to people I didn't know before. People who have experienced significant upheaval and yet have no interest in people outside their own circle.
