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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Mirch Masala
| image = Mirch Masala.jpg
| caption = mirchi mirchi
| director = [[Ketan Mehta]]
| producer = [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]]
| writer = [[Chunilal Madia]] [[Ketan Mehta]]
| starring = [[Naseeruddin Shah]] [[Smita Patil]] [[Om Puri]] [[Suresh Oberoi]] [[Deepti Naval]] [[Dina Pathak]] [[Mohan Gokhale]] [[Paresh Rawal]]
| music = [[Rajat Dholakia]]
| released = {{Film date|1987|02|13|df=y}}
| runtime = 128 minutes
| country = [[India]]
| budget = 2 crore
| language = [[Hindi]]
}}
'''''Mirch Masala''''' (Translation: Hot Spice) is a [[Bollywood films of 1987|1987]] Hindi [[psychological thriller]] film directed by [[Ketan Mehta]]. It stars [[Naseeruddin Shah]] and [[Smita Patil]] in the lead roles. On the centenary of [[Indian cinema]] in April 2013, ''[[Forbes (India)|Forbes]]'' included Smita Patil's performance in the film on its list, "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forbesindia.com/article/100-years-of-indian-cinema/25-greatest-acting-performances-of-indian-cinema/35125/0|title=25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema|magazine=[[Forbes (India)|Forbes]]|first1=Shishir|last1=Prasad|first2=N. S.|last2=Ramnath|first3=Sohini|last3=Mitter|date=27 April 2013 |accessdate = 27 January 2015}}</ref>

==Plot==
The film is set in [[Colonial India]] in the early 1940s.<ref>[http://imgur.com/vRi4j As seen here]</ref> The plot begins with an arrogant ''[[subedar]]'' ([[Naseeruddin Shah]]) (local tax collector in colonial India) and his henchmen rampaging through a village. The subedar has an eye for women and soon spots Sonbai ([[Smita Patil]]) on the riverbank. Sonbai is an intelligent, beautiful and strong woman. Her confidence intrigues the ''subedar''.

It turns out the ''subedar'' holds ultimate authority over the village. Subservient to him is the ''[[mukhi]]'' ([[Suresh Oberoi]]) (village chieftain) and all the villagers. The villagers do their best to scratch out a living, of which the ''subedar'' invariably exacts a heavy tax. We learn also that the villagers are mostly illiterate and ignorant of the outside world. They are most stupefied by a [[Phonograph|gramophone]] the tyrant possesses. The only literate person in the village is the schoolmaster ([[Benjamin Gilani]]), who insists on educating the children, even girls (the ''mukhi's'' wife even enrolls her only daughter, only to be rebuked by the ''mukhi'', who, like all the others believes that girls should not be sent to school). The ''mukhi's'' younger brother ([[Mohan Gokhale]]) (who also loves a low-caste girl secretly) even asks the school-master the meaning of the word ''[[swaraj]]''). The ''subedar'' and his men routinely attack the village and raid the food, livestock and supplies. The ''subedar'' is a haughty and cruel man, who exploits his power in every possible way. The villagers are compelled to keep him satisfied; they regularly set up parties for him and his men, often at great expense to their meager means. They also arrange a steady supply of women for his pleasure.

The ''mukhi'' means well but is generally weak and powerless before the ''subedar''. His principal goals are to negotiate concessions to the tax and to keep the ''subedar'' happy. The safety and security of the village are mostly dependent on the moods of the ''subedar'', and so he tacitly arranges to keep the ''subedar'' sated and out of his way. The ''mukhi'' also represents the prevailing male attitude in the village: women are mostly confined to their homes and have no education. The other character in village life is the school master, who is a [[Gandhian]] and a reformer, and hopes the village may someday be liberated from the shackles of the likes of the ''subedar''.

Things take a turn when on one such occasion the ''subedar'' boldly asks Sonbai to yield to his desires. Equally bold, she slaps him across the face. She flees immediately with the soldiers in hot pursuit, and takes refuge in a ''masala karkhana'' (spice factory where red chillies are ground into powder). Abu Mian ([[Om Puri]]), the wizened old Muslim gatekeeper and factory guard admits Sonbai and slams the factory doors shut in the nick of time.

The soldiers try to coax and cajole Abu Mian into opening the door. When this fails, they try to trick him (he sees through the trick) and then they threaten his life. Abu Mian stands his ground and refuses to open the door. The ''subedar'' tries to get the factory owner to reason with Abu Mian, but this turns out to be fruitless. Abu Mian refuses to compromise on his job of providing security to the factory employees.

The matter escalates. The ''mukhi'' convenes the [[Gram panchayat|village panchayat]]. The villagers are quick to condemn Sonbai and decide that she must turn herself over to the ''subedar''. The schoolmaster opposes this view; once they give in for one woman, he says, there will be nothing to stop the ''subedar'' from demanding others, even perhaps the ''mukhi''{{'}}s own wife. (He is immediately thrashed for this.) The panchayat is dissolved and the ''mukhi'' reports back to the ''subedar''. They will hand over Sonbai on the condition that the ''subedar'' will not make further demands of this nature. The ''subedar'' laughs off this condition and has the schoolmaster thrashed soundly again. He asks the ''mukhi'' to reason with Sonbai; her obstinacy is liable to bring trouble to the entire village.

The ''mukhi'' brings pressure on Sonbai, but she stands firm. Within the factory, the women who once supported Sonbai now turn upon her. They fear that if she does not yield, the ''subedar'' may send his men to indiscriminately molest the womenfolk. Sonbai nearly relents, but is stopped by Abu Mian. She resolves to stand firm. Abu Mian chides the ''mukhi'' and the villagers; they may lord it over their wives at home, but are not man enough to face the ''subedar'', leaving Abu Mian himself as the only man in the village who has the courage to back his convictions.

The ''subedar'' orders his soldiers to charge the factory, and they smash down the door. Abu Mian manages to shoot one of the soldiers, but he is shot dead immediately after. The ''subedar'' enters the factory and tries to grab Sonbai. The women of the factory mount a sudden and surprising defense. They attack the ''subedar'' with bagfuls of lal mirch masala (fresh ground red chilli powder) in teams of two. The film ends with the ''subedar'' on his knees, screaming in pain as the chilli burns his face and eyes.

==Cast==
* [[Naseeruddin Shah]] as Subedar/Sarkar, the villain
* [[Smita Patil]] as Sonbai
* [[Raj Babbar]] as Sonbai's husband, guest appearance
* [[Om Puri]] as Abu Mian, the factory watchman
* [[Suresh Oberoi]] as Mukhi, the village headman
* [[Deepti Naval]] as Saraswati -Mukhi's wife
* [[Benjamin Gilani]] as the school master
* [[Harish Patel]] as the priest
* [[Paresh Rawal]] as a villager
* [[Amol Gupte]] as a villager
* [[Dina Pathak]] as the old village woman inside the factory
* [[Ratna Pathak Shah]] as a village woman inside the factory
* [[Supriya Pathak]] as Radha, a village woman inside the factory
* [[Mohan Gokhale]] as Mukhi's younger brother and lover of Radha
*[[Deep Dhillon]] as soldier of Subhedar/Sarkar
*[[Ahmed Khan (actor)|Ahmed Khan]] as soldier of Subhedar/Sarkar

==Awards and nominations==
{{awards table}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|1986
| Producer: [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]]; Director: [[Ketan Mehta]]
| [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi]]
| {{won}}<ref>[[34th National Film Awards]]</ref>
|-
| [[Suresh Oberoi]]
| [[National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
| {{won}}
|-
| 1987
| [[Ketan Mehta]]
| ''Golden Prize'' at [[15th Moscow International Film Festival]]<ref name="Moscow1987">{{cite web|url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1987 |title=15th Moscow International Film Festival (1987) |accessdate=2013-02-18 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116194338/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1987 |archivedate=16 January 2013 }}</ref>
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1988
| [[Suresh Oberoi]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200111042153/http://www.gomolo.in/Awards/Awards.aspx%3FAwardCode%3D7%26YearCode%3D1988 1988 BFJA Awards]</ref>
| [[Bengal Film Journalists' Association – Best Supporting Actor Award]]
| {{won}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0089599}}

{{National Film Award Best Feature Film Hindi}}

[[Category:1980s avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:1980s feminist films]]
[[Category:1980s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1985 films]]
[[Category:Best Hindi Feature Film National Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Films about women in India]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ketan Mehta]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor National Film Award-winning performance]]
[[Category:Films set in the British Raj]]
[[Category:Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing National Award]]
[[Category:Indian avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:Indian feminist films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:National Film Development Corporation of India films]]

Mirch Masala - Revision history

NydiaTalley110: minor cleanup

2401:4900:51D6:E845:B8F9:5B52:9E98:216B at 02:39, 16 April 2021