Mirch Masala

Ketan Mehta's Mirch Masala is one of the great feminist fables of Indian cinema. Set in colonial Gujarat, it pits Sonbai (Smita Patil, in one of her final roles) against Subedar (Naseeruddin Shah), a tax collector who demands sexual tribute as casually as he collects revenue. When Sonbai refuses and flees to the village spice factory, the women inside must decide whether to hand her over or fight.

The film is gorgeous to look at — the red chili powder that fills the factory becomes a visual motif of both passion and revolution. Smita Patil's Sonbai is not a victim; she is a spark. The final sequence, in which the women throw fistfuls of chili powder at the Subedar's men, is a moment of pure cinematic catharsis.

The film was a moderate commercial success but has grown enormously in stature. It is now taught in film schools as an example of how to make political cinema that is also thrilling, funny, and deeply entertaining.