Early-1940s, rural British India. When a woman decides to fight against the village's despotic subedar and is supported by the guard of the local spice factory, more women join to defy the prevailing oppression.
Mirch Masala 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".