I am writing a movie review on “Mistress of Spice” on Mouthshut after a really long time. Feels good to be back. I think this review will mark my 60th review at Mouthshut.
Mistress of Spices is an earthen, dreamy and mystical movie. Those who don’t like films like Paheli/Krissh because of its fairy tale content will not enjoy this movie either.
The film stars Aishwarya Rai and Dylan McDermott in lead roles. Others like Anupam Kher, Ayshea Dharker, Padma Lakshmi offer bland cameos.
Movie Spoilers Ahead !!!
Young Tilo has mysterious powers and she is almost considered a demi-God by her villagers until one day, when dacoits come to kidnap her to use her powers. Tilo’s parents are killed and she escapes mid-way.
She then gets rescued by Zohra Sehgal (Mother of a ‘Magic Spice School”, one of its kind.) and here Tilo is given powers to understand the spices and use them for mankind. Having completed her graduation in Spices institute of Management, little Tilo collects her degree by walking on fire and emerging a grown woman from the sacred pyre, only to be sent to the Land of Dreams (United States) to share her magic with customers.
Tilo soon finds loyal bunch of customers at her “Spice Baazaar” who come to her for all their mental and physical ailments. One of her customers is a Kashmiri man “Harun” who has a platonic relationship with Tilo. Anupam Kher is another customer who is a chauvinistic Indian with very conservative roots, who cant bear to see his grand-daughter Padma Lakshmi living life the American way. There are some other Afro-American customers who frequent her Baazaar to find solutions to their dating/love issues.
When Tilo is not helping people around, she is busy talking to her spices and giving us jargons on the orgin and benefits of each spice. She also puts Mehendi on delighted customers’ hand and plays a mini doctor when opportunity calls.
During all this time, Tilo has been secretly having a crush on an American architect who rides his bike on and off in front of her store. Like all fairy tales where special wishes/powers are granted to Cinderallas, Snowhites and Rapunzels in exchange for some conditions/restrictions, Tilo is also asked to follow some rules. For the “Spicy” powers to stay with her forever, she should not fall in love, leave the Spice store or even touch human skin.
Alas, when Love comes knocking at your door, what will a sack of dried spices do ? When Love is in the air, who can smell cinnamon/turmeric or chillies ? Tilo and Doug (the Architect) break some rules and Tilo is punished by the spices.
The spices/herbs stop working for Anupam Kher, Harun-the kashmiri, the shy Turban clad guy and others and Tilo’s curative powers go haywire.The final blow for Tilo is when her brotherly customer Harun gets hurt in his car because Tilo forgot to give him the protective spices on time. This leads Tilo to take an oath to have a last night with her love and later return to the world of herbs.The night is over and Cinderalla must go back to her Step Mother (spices). But Doug is no prince Charming and has no magic shoe.
In the end however Fairy God mother (zohra Sehgal) comes back in a ghostly white reflection and grants Tilo the boon to stay with her love forever and also retain her Spice powers.
It’s a perfect Fairy tale ending. Tilo is happy and in the end, she is shown enjoying the outdoors in California (to make up for all her cooped up years in the Spice store) and enjoys life like a normal woman.
The Spice Baazar ’set’ is straight out of “Pier 1 Imports” décor. Earthy furniture, ethnic wall hangings, wooden grinding vessels and an assorted arrangement of powdered spices. After a point, you really begin to feel the smell of all the spices and even cough while inhaling the roasted red-chillis smell ("chillis" who are most short tempered spices in the group, often cringe in disgust and burn themselves whenever their mistress misbehaves)
Aishwariya Rai looks sweet and homely in pastel shade saris, cute steel earrings and sad eyes.
Doug is inspid, wooden and devoid of expressions.Anupam Kher is okay in his special appearance role, Harun looks innocent and Padma Lakshmi looks every bit a vamp in her miniscule role. The one actress who was completedly wasted was Ayesha Dharker. Except for her wide wide grin which fills her whole face, she didn’t have much to say or do in the film.
A good film for people who like to dream, get carried away in mystical worlds and who don’t want to watch routine item songs/dance/computerized stunts and loud comedy.