One spice for passion. And one woman who knows its name.|Sep. 11, 2005|United States | United Kingdom | Isle of Man | India|92 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Bollywood;Drama;Fantasy;Romance
Description: Tilo, an immigrant from India, is a shopkeeper with extraordinary clairvoyant abilities and the chosen Mistress of Spices. She provides her customers with spices that fulfill their specific needs and desires, such as sandalwood to erase painful memories and black cumin seeds to ward off the evil eye. As a young girl, Tilo was initiated as one of the Mistresses of Spices by the First Mother, who warned her and the others about the strict rules they must follow or face severe consequences. They are never to leave their designated stores, physically touch anyone, or use the power of the spices for personal gain.
Tilo operates a store called “Spice Bazaar” in the San Francisco Bay Area. Among her customers are Haroun, a cab driver; a grandfather struggling with his American-born granddaughter Geeta; Kwesi, a man trying to impress his girlfriend; and Jagjit, a teenager trying to fit in at school. Tilo’s life takes a dramatic turn when Doug, a young architect, crashes his motorcycle outside her store. She tends to his injuries but struggles to suppress their growing romantic attraction.
Their connection deepens when Doug touches her, leading them to fall in love. However, the spices grow displeased, and misfortune begins to plague her other customers. Haroun gets into an accident, Geeta’s family issues worsen, Jagjit falls in with a bad crowd, and Kwesi’s girlfriend leaves him. That same night, Doug shares the sad news of his Native American mother’s passing. Tilo realizes these events are consequences of breaking the rules set for a Mistress. The First Mother appears to her in a vision, reprimanding her for choosing Doug over her sacred duty.
Cast director: Gurinder Chadha
Cast actor: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Dylan McDermott, Nitin Ganatra, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Caroline Chikezie, Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan, Sonny Gill Dulay, Nina Young, Toby Marlow
Original name: The Mistress of Spices