Shot on location in Kampala, Uganda, and Mississippi, Mira Nair’s second feature film tells the story of an upper-class Indian family forced to flee Idi Amin’s tyranny in 1972. After nearly two decades of travel and expatriate existence, they find themselves in Greenwood, Mississippi, where they join relatives in running a motel. Their daughter, Mina, is basically “Westernized” and also capable of achieving more than the day-to-day jobs at the motel. When she meets Demetrius, an enterprising young carpet cleaner, their relationship creates an uproar amongst their respective family and friends. The closet racism that has remained hidden behind a veneer of unity rears its ugly head, resulting in dire consequences.