Mirch Masala

Ketan Mehta's 1987 Indian film is set in a village under colonial administration in the early forties. When the tax-collecting subedar arrives he demands Sonbai; refusing him, she takes refuge in the spice factory, and the factory's guard refuses to open the gate. The film's force lies in the siege drawing out. The men of the village collaborate while the women unite inside the factory; the narrative shows this not as one woman's courage but as a compulsion to take sides. Smita Patil leads, in one of the last major works released after her death. Naseeruddin Shah plays the subedar and Om Puri the guard. Red chilli powder becomes a weapon in the closing scene. Who it's for: those who follow Indian parallel cinema and social drama. Who it's not for: viewers for whom scenes of sexual threat and coercion would sit heavily.