Sooni Taraporevala feels re-releasing Mississippi Masala in US is ‘important’

31 years after it first premiered in France, filmmaker Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala is set to be re-released in the USA in a remixed and remastered format on April 15. The film, starring Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhary, revolves around the casteism of Indians. Xenophobia in Uganda.

Its screenwriter Sooni Taraporewala believes that this time too the film will have a deep impact on the new generation of Indian diaspora living in America. “When the film first came out, I was in India and there were many comments like, ‘We are not like this, we are not racists’ but that is not true. We like to point fingers at others and call them racists But when it comes to us we are in denial. It is going to be very relevant for the next generation because sadly not much has changed,” she says.

Sharing his excitement about the film’s re-release, Taraporevala, who received the Golden Ocela Best Original Screenplay for it at the Venice International Film Festival in 1991, says, “In an environment where new films are not theatrically released We find it absolutely amazing and thrilling that a 30 year old film is being re-released.”

Salaam Bombay! (1988) and The Namesake (2006) The author feels that it is imperative to introduce young NRI audiences to cult classics that give them a glimpse into their culture. She explains, “It is always important to expose them to what came before, provided it is relevant, especially in today’s times where attention span is zero. Nobody reads and hence no concept of history today.” is.”

Taraporevala further revealed that Mississippi masala holds a special place in Nair’s heart for personal reasons. “Meera met her husband, Mahmood Mamdani, when we went to Kampala to do our research. The house is now his home in the film. Her son was born there,” she concludes.