DENZEMBER VOL. V - Mississippi Masala feat. Roxana Hadadi *TEASER*

Get access to this entire episode, the entire Denzember catalog, and all of our premium episodes by becoming a Hit Factory Patron for just $5/month.Universally beloved Vulture critic and Hit Factory all-star Roxana Hadadi returns to close out Denzember with a hefty chat about Mira Nair's 1991 romantic drama 'Mississippi Masala', a story of identity, the generational pursuit of belonging, and the possibility of new futures through the radical expression of love without boundaries. We discuss the career of the undersung Nair, from her start as a documentarian through her more recent narrative features like 'The Namesake' and 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist'. Then we discuss the film's wholly singular voice and level of representation; how it refuses simple binaries about a diverse set of cultures, and why extricating a white perspective allows the story to detail difficult realities of non-white experiences. Finally, we discuss the film's impossibly alluring romantic thread between Denzel Washington and first-time performer Sarita Choudhury and the honesty that can be revealed through the pairing of a veteran actor's craft and a non-actor's authenticity. Roxana's Top 5 Denzel Washington Performances:Honorable Mentions: The Pelican Brief, Much Ado About Nothing1. Mississippi Masala2. Malcolm X3. Man on Fire4. The Mancuiran Candidate5. Inside ManAaron's Top 5 Denzel Washington Performances:Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia, Crimson Tide1. Malcolm X2. Training Day3. Deja Vu4. Flight5. The Tragedy of MacbethCarlee's Top 5 Denzel Washington Performances:Honorable Mentions: Malcolm X, The Hurricane1. Ricochet2. Crimson Tide3. Training Day4. Flight5. Mississippi MasalaFollow Roxana Hadadi on Twitter....Our Denzember theme song is "FUNK" by OPPO.