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{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}} | {{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}} | ||
{{Infobox film | {{Infobox film | ||
| name = Mirch Masala | | name = Mirch Masala | ||
| image = Mirch Masala.jpg | | image = Mirch Masala.jpg | ||
| caption = | | caption = Theatrical release poster | ||
| director = [[Ketan Mehta]] | | director = [[Ketan Mehta]] | ||
| producer = [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]] | | producer = [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]] | ||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
| starring = [[Naseeruddin Shah]]<br>[[Smita Patil]]<br>[[Om Puri]]<br>[[Suresh Oberoi]]<br>[[Deepti Naval]]<br>[[Dina Pathak]]<br>[[Mohan Gokhale]]<br>[[Paresh Rawal]] | | starring = [[Naseeruddin Shah]]<br>[[Smita Patil]]<br>[[Om Puri]]<br>[[Suresh Oberoi]]<br>[[Deepti Naval]]<br>[[Dina Pathak]]<br>[[Mohan Gokhale]]<br>[[Paresh Rawal]] | ||
| music = [[Rajat Dholakia]] | | music = [[Rajat Dholakia]] | ||
|cinematography = [[:en:Jehangir_Choudhary|Jehangir Choudhary]]<ref>{{Cite news|title =Mirch Masala on YouTube|url =https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfyrRWPIiY0}}</ref> | |||
| editing= Sanjiv Shah<ref>{{Cite news|title =Mirch Masala on YouTube|url =https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfyrRWPIiY0}}</ref> | |||
| released = {{Film date|1987|02|13|df=y}} | | released = {{Film date|1987|02|13|df=y}} | ||
| runtime = 128 minutes | | runtime = 128 minutes | ||
| country = [[India]] | | country = [[India]] | ||
| budget = | | budget = <!--Must cite a reliable published source with a reputation for fact-checking. No blogs, no IMDb. no fan-sites.--> | ||
| language = [[Hindi]] | | language = [[Hindi]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''''Mirch Masala''''' (Translation: Hot Spice) is a | '''''Mirch Masala''''' (Translation: Hot Spice) is a 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== | ==Plot== | ||
In the early 1940s,<ref>[http://imgur.com/vRi4j As seen here]</ref> an arrogant ''[[subedar]]'' ([[Naseeruddin Shah]]) (local tax collector in colonial India) and his henchmen ride into a village, scaring a group of women fetching water. Sonbai ([[Smita Patil]]) alone stands her ground and politely asks them not to let horses into the village's potable water source. | |||
Subedar settles into his camp and the ''Mukhi'' (trans. the chieftain) of the village visits him to pay respect. Subedar's [[Phonograph|gramophone]] is an object of fascination for the men of the village. Mukhi's frequent absence from home is resented by his wife. The schoolmaster ([[Benjamin Gilani]]), tries to get her to enrol her only daughter in the school. When she does, other women ridicule her. ''Mukhi'' pulls his daughter out and beats his wife for disobeying him. The ''mukhi's'' younger brother ([[Mohan Gokhale]]) is in love with a lower caste girl, but dares not mention it. When their liaison is found out, the girl's father beats her and tries get the ''mukhi'' to agree to a marriage. The ''mukhi'' rejects the proposal as unsuitable. | |||
The ' | The subedar's men routinely loot the village for food, livestock, and supplies. When Mukhi brings a woman to him, he is disappointed that she is not Sonbai, but beds her nonetheless. He persists in wooing Sonbai, but when his demands turn forceful, she slaps him across the face and runs away. Enraged, he orders his soldiers to bring her. Sonbai takes refuge in a masala karkhana (a spice factory where red chillies are ground into powder). Abu Mian ([[Om Puri]]), the wizened old Muslim gatekeeper and factory guard shuts the factory doors keeping the soldiers out. The ''subedar'' attempts to get the gates open through the factory owner and the ''mukhi'' fail. Abu Mian refuses to compromise on his job of providing security to the factory employees. | ||
Subedar's threats of destroying the village prompt the ''mukhi'' to convene the [[Gram panchayat|village panchayat]]. The villagers hold Sonbai responsible for inciting the subedar and decide that she should yield to him. The schoolmaster points out that once they give in for one, there will be nothing to stop the ''subedar'' from demanding others, even perhaps the ''mukhi''{{'}}s own wife. ''Mukhi'' thrashes him and throws him out. ''Mukhi'' reports back to the ''subedar'' that 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 tied up to a post. | |||
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''. | |||
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'' | |||
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. | 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. | ||
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* [[Amol Gupte]] <small>as</small> a villager | * [[Amol Gupte]] <small>as</small> a villager | ||
* [[Dina Pathak]] <small>as</small> the old village woman inside the factory | * [[Dina Pathak]] <small>as</small> the old village woman inside the factory | ||
* [[Ratna Pathak Shah]] <small>as</small> a village woman inside the factory | * [[Ratna Pathak Shah]] <small>as</small> Pallavi, a village woman inside the factory | ||
* [[Supriya Pathak]] <small>as</small> Radha, a village woman inside the factory | * [[Supriya Pathak]] <small>as</small> Radha, a village woman inside the factory | ||
* [[Mohan Gokhale]] <small>as</small> Mukhi's younger brother and lover of Radha | * [[Mohan Gokhale]] <small>as</small> Mukhi's younger brother and lover of Radha | ||
*[[Deep Dhillon]] <small>as</small> soldier of Subhedar/Sarkar | *[[Deep Dhillon]] <small>as</small> soldier of Subhedar/Sarkar | ||
* | *Ahmed Khan <small>as</small> soldier of Subhedar/Sarkar | ||
*[[Ram Gopal Bajaj]] as Jeevan Thakkar, owner of pepper factory | |||
*Vipin sharma as villager | |||
==Awards and nominations== | ==Awards and nominations== | ||
{{awards table}} | {{awards table}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| rowspan=" | | rowspan="3"|1986 | ||
| Producer: [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]]; Director: [[Ketan Mehta]] | | Producer: [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC]]; Director: [[Ketan Mehta]] | ||
| [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi]] | | [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi]] | ||
| Line 63: | Line 63: | ||
| [[Suresh Oberoi]] | | [[Suresh Oberoi]] | ||
| [[National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor]] | | [[National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor]] | ||
| {{won}} | |||
|- | |||
| Sanjiv Shah | |||
| [[National Film Award for Best Editing]] | |||
| {{won}} | | {{won}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
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[[Category:1980s avant-garde and experimental films]] | [[Category:1980s avant-garde and experimental films]] | ||
[[Category:1980s feminist films]] | [[Category:1980s feminist films]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:1987 Hindi-language films]] | ||
[[Category:1985 films]] | [[Category:1985 films]] | ||
[[Category:Best Hindi Feature Film National Film Award winners]] | [[Category:Best Hindi Feature Film National Film Award winners]] | ||
[[Category:Films about women in India]] | [[Category:Films about women in India]] | ||
[[Category:Films directed by Ketan Mehta]] | [[Category:Films directed by Ketan Mehta]] | ||
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor National Film | [[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor National Film Award–winning performance]] | ||
[[Category:Films set in the British Raj]] | [[Category:Films set in the British Raj]] | ||
[[Category:Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing National Award]] | [[Category:Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing National Award]] | ||
[[Category:Indian avant-garde and experimental films]] | [[Category:Indian avant-garde and experimental films]] | ||
[[Category:Indian feminist films]] | [[Category:Indian feminist films]] | ||
[[Category:National Film Development Corporation of India films]] | [[Category:National Film Development Corporation of India films]] | ||
Latest revision as of 05:20, 4 March 2026
| Mirch Masala | |
|---|---|
| File:Mirch Masala.jpg Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ketan Mehta |
| Produced by | NFDC |
| Written by | Chunilal Madia Ketan Mehta |
| Starring | Naseeruddin Shah Smita Patil Om Puri Suresh Oberoi Deepti Naval Dina Pathak Mohan Gokhale Paresh Rawal |
| Music by | Rajat Dholakia |
| Cinematography | Jehangir Choudhary[1] |
| Edited by | Sanjiv Shah[2] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 128 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Mirch Masala (Translation: Hot Spice) is a 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 included Smita Patil's performance in the film on its list, "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".[3]
Plot[edit | edit source]
In the early 1940s,[4] an arrogant subedar (Naseeruddin Shah) (local tax collector in colonial India) and his henchmen ride into a village, scaring a group of women fetching water. Sonbai (Smita Patil) alone stands her ground and politely asks them not to let horses into the village's potable water source.
Subedar settles into his camp and the Mukhi (trans. the chieftain) of the village visits him to pay respect. Subedar's gramophone is an object of fascination for the men of the village. Mukhi's frequent absence from home is resented by his wife. The schoolmaster (Benjamin Gilani), tries to get her to enrol her only daughter in the school. When she does, other women ridicule her. Mukhi pulls his daughter out and beats his wife for disobeying him. The mukhi's younger brother (Mohan Gokhale) is in love with a lower caste girl, but dares not mention it. When their liaison is found out, the girl's father beats her and tries get the mukhi to agree to a marriage. The mukhi rejects the proposal as unsuitable.
The subedar's men routinely loot the village for food, livestock, and supplies. When Mukhi brings a woman to him, he is disappointed that she is not Sonbai, but beds her nonetheless. He persists in wooing Sonbai, but when his demands turn forceful, she slaps him across the face and runs away. Enraged, he orders his soldiers to bring her. Sonbai takes refuge in a masala karkhana (a spice factory where red chillies are ground into powder). Abu Mian (Om Puri), the wizened old Muslim gatekeeper and factory guard shuts the factory doors keeping the soldiers out. The subedar attempts to get the gates open through the factory owner and the mukhi fail. Abu Mian refuses to compromise on his job of providing security to the factory employees.
Subedar's threats of destroying the village prompt the mukhi to convene the village panchayat. The villagers hold Sonbai responsible for inciting the subedar and decide that she should yield to him. The schoolmaster points out that once they give in for one, there will be nothing to stop the subedar from demanding others, even perhaps the mukhi's own wife. Mukhi thrashes him and throws him out. Mukhi reports back to the subedar that 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 tied up to a post.
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.
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[edit | edit source]
- 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 Pallavi, 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 as soldier of Subhedar/Sarkar
- Ram Gopal Bajaj as Jeevan Thakkar, owner of pepper factory
- Vipin sharma as villager
Awards and nominations[edit | edit source]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Producer: NFDC; Director: Ketan Mehta | National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi | Won[5] |
| Suresh Oberoi | National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor | Won | |
| Sanjiv Shah | National Film Award for Best Editing | Won | |
| 1987 | Ketan Mehta | Golden Prize at 15th Moscow International Film Festival[6] | Nominated |
| 1988 | Suresh Oberoi[7] | Bengal Film Journalists' Association – Best Supporting Actor Award | Won |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Mirch Masala on YouTube".
- ↑ "Mirch Masala on YouTube".
- ↑ Prasad, Shishir; Ramnath, N. S.; Mitter, Sohini (27 April 2013). "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema". Forbes. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
- ↑ As seen here
- ↑ 34th National Film Awards
- ↑ "15th Moscow International Film Festival (1987)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ↑ 1988 BFJA Awards
External links[edit | edit source]
- Mirch Masala on IMDb