Problematizing Mississippi Masala:

Mississippi Masala by Mira Nair tries to convey the complications of cross-racial interactions and even some inherent racisms people of color communities pose.  I do believe though, that the important underlying concepts about race and the implications of colorism and people’s forced removal are overshadowed by the concept of [romantic] love; Mississippi Masala definitely followed the ‘love fixes/overcomes all’ narrative.

This film has motifs similar to the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ narrative wherein boy meets girl and falls in love, however the two families collide, and in this particular situation due to racial conflicts.  The film primarily followed the love story between Demetrius and Meena, and shifted its focus [very quickly] away from Indians forced removal from Uganda.  Furthermore, although Demetrius pointed out a very special concept when he mentions to the father that ‘he is only a few shades lighter’ and that he has his own personal struggles as a black working man in Mississippi, the film does not very much convey struggles of black folk in Mississippi.

Lastly, the ending of the film seemed to ‘resolve’ all of the conflicts in the film, which in my opinion never happens in reality.  Meena’s father seemed to acquire closure after trying to say goodbye to his departed friend; Demetrius father and Meena’s mother seemed to be very okay with their children’s quick decision to leave Mississippi without much travel equipment or clothes with them; and both Meena and Demetrius seemed to forget all of the family conflicts they had because their ‘love conquered all.’

Mississippi Masala explores the relationships (romantic, civil, social) between people of color in various diaspora. Specifically, the film thinks about the relations between Indian and African diasporic subjects. The film complicates the subjectivity of our main Indian family, because they are South Asian in the African diaspora, meaning that they view Uganda as their homeland. This context, combined with the historical period at hand (1970s-90s, or, Uganda’s military dictatorship, as well as the post-Civil Rights movement in the USA), sets the ground for some of the themes in the film, including racial hierarchy within communities of color. Throughout the film there are discussions between the characters regarding both racial solidarity and accusations of anti-blackness in Indian culture. For example, Demitrius tells Meena’s father that his Indian skin is only a few shades lighter than his own Black skin. Earlier, an Indian character attempts to dissuade Demetrius from suing after the car crash given that they are all non-White persons of color.

Hi! I couldn’t easily figure out how to have everyone write their own posts, so for this week, please post your responses as a comment to this post. I might be able to give you author privileges by next week. Thanks!

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