Mississippi Masala - Criterion Collection

Sarita Choudhury and Denzel Washington star in Mira Nair’s bighearted romance, which tackles complicated issues of colorism and culture clash.The vibrant cultures of India, Uganda, and the American South come together in Mississippi Masala by MIRA NAIR(Monsoon Wedding),a luminous look at the complexities of love in the modern melting pot. Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their home in Uganda by the dictatorship of Idi Amin, twentysomething Mina (Homeland’sSARITA CHOUDHURY) spends her days cleaning rooms in an Indian-run motel in Mississippi. When she falls for the charming Black carpet cleaner Demetrius (The Tragedy of Macbeth’sDENZEL WASHINGTON), their passionate romance challenges the prejudices of both of their families and exposes the rifts between the region’s Indian and African American communities. Tackling thorny issues of racism, colorism, culture clash, and displacement with bighearted humor and keen insight, Nair serves up a sweet, sexy, and deeply satisfying celebration of love’s power.

• NEW 4K RESTORATION, supervised by director Mira Nair and director of photography Ed Lachman, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• New audio commentary featuring Nair
• New conversation between actor Sarita Choudhury and film critic Devika Girish
• New interviews with Lachman, screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala, and production designer and photographer Mitch Epstein
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic Bilal Qureshi and excerpts from Nair's production journal